Never Alone
by FawkesAlways
Summary: First fanfiction. Aisy Domecq is a muggleborn witch with no mother, a broken father, and a brother who practically raised her. One day she stumbles upon none other than Harry Potter, and an instant friendship is formed. Will this friendship and possibly more than that survive the chaos that is The Boy Who Lived's life? Or are they all doomed? *UNDER CONSTRUCTION*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! This is my very first fanfic and I'm really excited about it, this idea has been churning in my head for weeks. c: Check it out, and don't forget to review to tell me what you think! I would love some tips and friendly criticism. Thanks for taking the time to do that. c: Happy reading n.n**

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It all started a few days before my eighth birthday, which was on January 17.

I'd been homeschooled up until then. My father was always so frightened that something would happen to me. I know it has something to do with my mother. However, that year, my older brother, Ryan, finally convinced Father to, as he put it, "drag me out of being a hermit." I will always be eternally grateful to Ryan for that.

I hated being alone. There were other children in my neighborhood, of course, but they disliked me. I was an odd child. There was my outspoken and slightly mental personality, but that wasn't all. I sort of made things… happen.

What happened was, this mean girl named Frances was teasing me about my hand-me-down clothes (We were a poor family).

"You're so pitiful!" she screeched, in her vulture-like way. "Look at you! All those rags you wear, it's no wonder you don't have any friends! Who'd want to be friends with a dirty little beggar?"

I glared ferociously at my tormentor, while the other children snickered and pointed at me, whispering. I could feel my blood boiling already, but it was nothing compared to what I felt when she said her next words…

"No wonder your mother killed herself, I would have too, with a daughter li—"

Frances never did get those words out. I saw red, my fists clenching and my teeth grinding. I almost flew at the bitch, when suddenly—

"OW!"

A branch had landed on Frances's head. She burst into tears, running away. All the other children stared at me, horror evident on their faces, and fled after her. I stood there, my eyes wide and shocked, as I stared at the branch on the ground. What had I done?

_Don't be silly, Aisy. It wasn't you. How could you have done it? You were standing way over here, and she was under the tree. It was an accident, that's all._

_ A fantastic accident, _I thought smugly.

I suddenly got the strange feeling on the back of my neck when someone was with me. I whirled around to see, of all people, the Potter boy.

Dressed in oversize clothes and small wire-rimmed glasses, with messy black hair and green eyes, my immediate thought was, _How long has he been here?_

"Hi," he said shyly, looking everywhere but at me.

I decided that he wasn't going to taunt me, so I smiled radiantly and waved jauntily at him. Who knows? Maybe he'd be willing to be my friend. "Hi there," I said. "Harry, right?"

He finally looked at me. He really had the most gorgeous eyes. "Yeah. You're Aislynn?"

"Aisy," I corrected him firmly. "Don't EVER call me Aislynn. I am not an old maid."

For the first time since I'd seen him, he smiled. He had a nice smile, crooked but genuine. "Aisy," he corrected himself.

I sauntered forward and pompously shook his hand. He looked slightly startled, but amused. "So, what brings you to this little tree?" I asked ironically. The tree I spoke of was actually enormous, with one low, thick branch for sitting.

Harry shrugged. He seemed much more at ease now."My cousin's behaving like a twat, so I had to get away. I'll be punished when I get home though…" He didn't seem like he actually cared.

"That Dudley character?" I sneered. Harry nodded. "Prat."

Harry chuckled, and I grinned at the sound. I then went over to sit on the branch, beckoning for Harry to join me. He didn't look hesitant at all.

"You know what I was just thinking, Aisy?"

"What's that, Harry?"

"We should be friends." He blushed slightly, and grinned nervously at me.

I beamed. A friend? Me? "That would be lovely!" I hugged him tightly around the middle.

He stiffened immediately. I rolled my eyes and hugged him until his arms fell loosely and hesitantly around me. I pulled back and looked at his face. His emerald eyes were truly amazing. I couldn't get over them. Then I noticed something above them. "What's that?" I asked, pointing to the bizarre little lightning-shaped scar.

He nervously reached up and touched it with his right hand. "I got it when I was a baby," he said. "Car accident."

I gasped. "That's terrible! You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No," he said, "but my parents were."

I saw the sadness glaze over his lovely eyes. I frowned. "…They died, didn't they?"

He looked at me, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. I didn't need any more confirmation. I reached forward and hugged Harry tightly, and this time, he didn't hesitate to hug me back. We held each other for I don't know how long. I finally pulled back, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "My mum's dead. Killed herself. Overdosed on some pills. I was three."

Harry looked shocked and horrified. "I'm so sorry, Aisy."

We spent the rest of the day chatting, moving past all the depressing junk and genuinely enjoying each other's company. I realized that, even though we'd only just met, I loved Harry like a brother. When it got dark and I had to return home, I turned to my new friend and said, "I don't want to be friends."

He look shocked, and then saddened. But then I said, "I want to be best friends." I grinned brightly at him.

He grinned back, obviously relieved. "Definitely."

We hugged and then I skipped off toward my house, not knowing that my life had just changed forever.

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**Well, one chapter down, many to go! I know this was short and boring, but just wait. I have more, I promise :D**

**I would love to know what y'all thought, I'm kinda nervous about this, haha. Liked or hated? (Please say liked lol)  
**

**Give me your honest opinion. I love you guys already! Ha, till next update!  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey it's me again. c: I already have like three chapters planned out, but I've gotta do all this complicated crap with them, hehe. So my next update will be tomorrow or the next day, pinky swear.**

**Also, I know last time I said Aisy was eight, but they're actually both ten. Sorry for the confusion!**

**Oh well. On with the story!**

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That was the first night in a long time that I'd slept without any nightmares.

I woke up the next morning convinced I'd been dreaming. It all seemed so unreal. How could I have made a branch fall on Frances's head? And how could I actually have made friends with someone? Potter, of all people.

I trudged out of bed, pulled a denim skirt and a pink shirt on, combed my brown hair that reached a little ways past my shoulders, and peered at myself in the mirror. I supposed I was sort of pretty, but not too much. I had large light blue eyes, a light spray of freckles across my small nose, and rather full lips. I finally left my house after eating some breakfast. Toast again.

School. Sigh. As I went through my day, I occasionally caught a glimpse of Harry. He'd smile sheepishly at me and then look away. I grinned. Looks like I still had a best friend after all, even if he was annoyingly shy.

Lunch came and I looked around the cafeteria. There, in an empty corner almost devoid of people, sat little black-haired Harry. I crossed the room and plopped down next to him, beaming. He grinned at me, and we spent the rest of lunch in companionable silence.

When it was over, I asked, "Wanna meet up at the tree again after school?" "Definitely," he responded cheerfully.

As soon as the final bell rang, I scurried home, kissed Ryan on the cheek and hugged Father, and darted out the door, leaving my bewildered family behind me.

As I was running, thoughts filled my brain. I'd never had a friend before. Ever. I still couldn't believe my luck. But… what if he doesn't show? What if he decides I'm not worth it?

I arrived at the tree and looked around hopefully. No sign of Harry. I should've known. Sighing sadly, I sat on the big branch and stared out over the little meadow this tree was placed in.

"AISY!"

Startled, I whirled around and found myself face to face with bright, excited green eyes, glasses, and black hair. "Harry!" I cried happily, pulling him into another tight Aislynn-hug.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he said sheepishly, turning a little red.

"What? I asked you to come here, you numpty!" I playfully pushed him. "I thought YOU wouldn't come!" I laughed. Relief filled me. I still had a best friend after all.

We spent the rest of the day together yet again, and when I finally got hungry, I hugged my best friend and said I had to go.

"You'll be here tomorrow, right?" Harry asked pleadingly.

"Of course," I said in my _duh _voice.

"Excellent," he smiled at me, and we parted ways.

Harry and I continued in this manner for months, with little differences. On my birthday a couple days later, he brought me a small piece of cake. I gaped at him. He'd told me all about his evil aunt, uncle, and cousin. It must've been extremely hard for him to sneak me this. Touched, I wrapped my arms around his middle, and we ate the cake in silence.

During the summer, we spent entire days together. We were soon inseparable, sharing all kinds of things about our lives. I told him about Ryan, and how he was the most amazing brother in the world. He told me that he had bizarre dreams of a great green flash that he associated with his accident.

Suddenly, the strangest thing happened. It was the day before Harry's birthday. I was tying a red ribbon into my hair, preparing to meet Harry for the zillionth time. Out of nowhere, there came this bizarre little tapping noise from my window. Startled, I peered at my window suspiciously. Should I open it?

I decided to chance it, always having been too bold for my own good. Opening my window, I got the shock of my life—A large bird with a letter attached to his leg swooped inside my bedroom. And not just any bird. A large, snowy white _owl_. Those birds weren't found anywhere near here! But, deciding to go with the flow, I allowed it to perch on my arm and took the letter when it offered it to me. Written in emerald green ink was:

_Miss A. Domecq_

_5 Meadow Lane_

_Surrey_

My heart pounded against my ribcage. Who sends letters by owl? "Daddy!" I cried, darting down the stairs. "Daddy, look!"

He took the letter from me, and as he stared at it, confusion became evident on his face. He handed it back to me. "Well, go on then," he said. "Open it."

I tore the envelope and brought out a folded piece of paper that said:

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Domecq,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Since you are muggle-born, I myself will be by shortly to explain this undoubtedly outrageous concept to you and your parents/guardians._

_ Term begins on September 1__st__._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress_

I stared at the letter for what seemed like ages. I gave it to Dad, and he examined it with pure disbelief on his features. "Is… Is this some sort of joke?" he choked out.

Suddenly, a knock came from the front door. Hesitantly, I crept forward and peered through the peephole.

A tall, rather strict-looking woman stood there impatiently. She was dressed in billowing green robes that exactly matched Harry's eyes and wire-rimmed glasses perched on her sharp nose. I knew instantly that it would be wise to toe carefully around this woman.

I opened the door and she entered. "Hello, Miss Domecq. Hello, Mr. Domecq." She had a very business-like tone. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and I am the deputy headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I am here to explain some things to you."

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**I KNOW I KNOW It's short, and I'm super sorry! The next chapters will be longer, promise! Lso, I'd like to honor my very first reviewer! ;D**

** Pretty Monster Princess, thanks so much for taking the time to tell me what you thought. c:  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello loves! I forgot to do a disclaimer for the past two chapters. Oopsie! .**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else you recognize here. **

**There, that should cover the rest of the story. Happy reading! c:**

My father and I were shellshocked, and so was Ryan when he came in minutes later. McGonagall sat us down and explained as much of the Wizarding world as she could to us: wands, spells, Gringotts, the Ministry and Minister of Magic, and most importantly, Hogwarts.

"Hogwarts is a boarding school. It teaches young witches and wizards how to control their magic and use it to make a life in the Wizarding world—"

"Wait wait wait," my father interrupted. I shot him a warning glare, but he ignored me. "Aislynn is most certainly not a witch. You must be mistaken."

McGonagall observed him coolly before replying, "Actually Mr. Domecq, as soon as your daughter was born, her name was put down on our registry. She is most certainly a witch." Turning to me, she asked, "Have any… odd… things ever happened to you when you were angry or upset?"

"Um…" I remembered several instances, one of them involving Frances being hit on the head with a mysterious branch. I frowned slightly at the memory. "Yes, ma'am. Several times."

"That was your uncontrolled magic. At Hogwarts, we can train you to use your magic and center it on whatever you need done." She looked at my father, who still seemed to be coming to terms with this. "In about a months' time, Miss Aislynn will need to have all her school supplies. The list should be with her letter, correct?" Father nodded, still slightly dazed. "Excellent. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and I do hope that Miss Domecq will be joining us at Hogwarts. She seems to be very bright, and would be a great addition to our school." I blushed, looking down at my knees.

Father showed McGonagall out and sat across from me, staring at me expectantly. "What?" I asked, sounding slightly defensive.

"What do you think about this?" he asked. "Do you want to go to this school?"

"Oh, definitely!" I cried. "Can't you imagine it? I'll be able to _perform magic_! I'll have a wand, I'll cast spells, and I'll make friends with people just like me! Oh, I'm so excited!" I was literally jumping up and down in my seat, imagining all the possibilities.

Father studied me for a while longer, and finally sighed. "All right then. Next week, why don't I take you to… er… Daygon Lane?"

"No, silly," I laughed, "Diagon Alley. And it's a deal!" I beamed, hugging him, and ran upstairs.

This was so incredible!

oOoOoOoOoOo

We were in Diagon Alley. It was absolutely stunning. Every single magical shop kept drawing my attention, and since I'm already easily distracted, this seriously became an issue. Father threatened to blindfold me, and horrified at the thought of not being able to see all this, I restrained my adventurous side. With great difficulty.

I checked my list. "First up: 3 sets of black work robes. To Madame Malkin's!"

We continued on through the list, and saved the wand and books for last, because I had a feeling that they would be the most important items. We stopped by Ollivander's shop, and my first impression of him was that he seemed quite eccentric. His white hair was almost as messy as Harry's, and his luminous eyes sparkled enigmatically. I smiled boldly at him and was rewarded with a small smile in return. He studied me for a bit and measured me, before pulling down a long rectangular box. He opened it and placed a dark wand in my hand. "Hawthorn, unicorn tail core, 8 inches."

I waved my hand, and ended up breaking his lamp. "No…" He took the wand from me and placed another in my hand. "Cherry, dragon heartstring core, 10 inches." I had barely held it for a second when he snatched it from me.

We went on this way for what seemed like hours. Finally he placed this beautiful wand in my hands, saying, "Laurel, phoenix feather core, 9 inches long." As soon as I touched it, a wonderful warmth spread through my hand. I whirled the wand around and red and gold sparks shot out of the tip. Ollivander clapped his hands excitedly. "Perfect match! Wonderful wand, nice and springy. That'll be 8 galleons."

Paying the strange man and leaving, proudly sporting my beautiful wand, we headed for the bookstore. I got all the books I needed and returned home with Dad.

I didn't see Harry at all after that. I was sad and confused. Why wouldn't he come to our spot? I had so much to tell him!

September 1st eventually rolled around, and loaded with all my things, Father dropped me off at Platform 9. I peered around, but there was no sign for 9 ¾. I was confused. How was I supposed to get to my train before it left?

"Ma'am?" I whirled around. This kindly-looking red-headed lady smiled sweetly at me. "Are you lost?"

"Yes, in fact," I said. "Where is Platform 9 ¾?"

Comprehension showed in her eyes, and she gently took my arm and led me over to her family, all of whom had equally fiery hair. There was a tall boy with horn-rimmed glasses who had a pompous air about him, two mischievious-looking twins, a boy about my age who blushed when we were introduced, and a tiny girl who seemed too young for this school. "This is Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny. I'm Molly. And you are?"

"My name's Aisy, ma'am," I said, politely shaking all their hands. "How do I get to the platform again?"

"We'll show you, dear. Percy, you first." The eldest boy nodded curtly and jogged toward the barrier between 9 and 10. He was going to crash!

"Stop!" I cried, but he was too close—And he disappeared right through. I gaped after him.

Molly smiled warmly. "You see dear, all you have to do is head straight for that barrier, don't be afraid you'll crash, that's very important, and you'll go right through!" I gulped and nodded. As Fred and George ran through, I stepped in front of Ron and began jogging. The barrier came closer…and closer…and closer… I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to witness the impact…

It never came. I opened my eyes and stared all around me in wonder. A hanging sign nearby read PLATFORM 9 ¾. I grinned excitedly, butterflies filling my stomach. I was really here! It actually existed!

"Uh, hi."

I turned around. The nervous voice had come from Ron, the youngest of the red-headed brothers. I smiled reassuringly at him and said, "Hello!"

"Aisy, is it?"

"That's right. Ron?"

He nodded, slightly red. Wow, he must not talk to girls outside his family much. "So uh…"

"Wanna find a seat together on the train?" I asked for him. It would be nice to sit with someone I was acquainted with. I couldn't help but feel a pang in my stomach as I realized Harry and I wouldn't be attending school together anymore. I really would miss him. How would I survive without my best friend?

"Sure," Ron replied, finally smiling. He looked relieved. We boarded the train and eventually found an empty compartment.

"Your mother seems really nice," I said kindly. This boy seemed cool, I just had to get him talking. He needed to loosen up. He nodded. "Yeah, but she's a right pain in the arse sometimes."

I laughed, and he finally relaxed. "How about your mother?" he asked me.

I immediately stiffened. My mother… I couldn't remember her at all. Should I tell Ron what happened? We'd only just met after all. To this day, I don't know what made me trust Ron. All I know is, when I looked at his face, it was the face of a friend. "She… Er, she died. When I was three."

Ron looked shocked. "I'm sorry," he offered. I half-smiled. "How'd she die?"

"Um… Killed herself."

Ron looked even more appalled. He hesitantly pulled me into a hug, and I awkwardly returned it. We pulled away a second later, both blushing madly. Normally I was a hugger, but something about Ron threw me off, and I couldn't place my finger on it.

At that moment, the compartment door tentatively slid open. My heart stopped.

Messy black hair, and shocked emerald eyes.

**Well! Cliffhanger much? **

**For those of you who are wondering, Harry stumbled upon Mrs. Weasley AFTER Ron went through. So he didn't see Aisy, but he still met Fred and George on the train. Basically, everything happened normally. Except for the whole my-best-friend-is-also-a-witch-and-she's-on-the-freaking-train-ohmygod thing.**

**Review! Please please please? I need to know how my story is being received.**

**Love and Hippogriffs,**

**Rachel c;**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi :D So I was really excited to log on this morning and see the positive reviews n.n**

**I'd like to answer them here:  
**

**lostfeather1: Wow thanks! I didn't know it was that good. And yes, I'll follow the story. Well, most of it; I may alter some of it. c:  
**

**Brown-Eyed-Marauderette: I'm really happy you decided to check this out, and you liked it! And I'm pretty young, so my writing style isn't the best around. But I do intend to improve and mature, along with Aisy and the rest. Enjoy this chapter. c:  
**

**Pretty Monster Princess: Ah, you again! Hi :D Yes, they're reunited, and it's so awesome! Have fun reading n.n  
**

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"Aisy?" Harry sputtered, pulling me out of my shock.

"H-Harry?"

"You're a witch?" Besides the confusion, I saw excitement in his eyes.

"You're a _wizard_?"

Ron stared between the two of us. "I take it you know each other…?"

I beamed excitedly. Harry had the same expression, which morphed into momentary pain as I flew into him. "Oomph—"

"We can stay together!" I cried happily, squeezing his middle. He hugged me back, laughing. "I just can't believe you're a witch!" he exclaimed.

"I can't believe you're a wizard!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "You guys. I'm still here." We blushed and sat down, Harry next to me, me across from Ron. Ron and Harry immediately got to talking, and as I watched them, I had this strange feeling in my chest. _Love_. I realized I loved these boys, even though I'd just met Ron. I didn't know then, however, how much of an impact they would have on my life.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" this kindly-looking woman asked, sticking her head inside our compartment. Ron looked hopeful, but checking his pockets and finding them empty, he sighed. I'm sure I looked the same. Harry jumped up and bought nearly everything off the cart. He spread it over the table, and I laughed at the overwhelmed expression on Ron's face. I stared out the window, eating a licorice wand, while the boys started talking about Chocolate Frogs and the Headmaster, Dumbledore. I'd read about him in Hogwarts, A History.

After a little bit, this plump, awkward-looking boy stumbled into our compartment. "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all? I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

I smiled reassuringly at the boy, and Harry said, "He'll turn up."

The boy looked even more disheartened, and I felt bad for him. "Well, if you see him…" He closed the door and left.

Not ten minutes later, a girl with great bushy hair and big front teeth came into the compartment. She already had her school robes on ."Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She had a very bossy voice.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Ron snapped. I glanced at him, surprised by his tone.

She didn't notice this, however. She saw his wand and said, "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then."

He looked startled, but she wasn't taking no for an answer. She sat next to him and waited. He muttered this nonsense spell and waved his wand at his rat, Scabbers, but nothing happened. The girl studied him. "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard-I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough-I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said this all very quickly, while we three gaped at her.

"I'm Ron Weasley." He looked extremely annoyed.

"Aislynn, though if you call me that, I won't rest until I learn how to hex you. It's Aisy." I smiled, letting her know I was kidding. She looked faintly disapproving as she turned to Harry.

"Harry Potter," he murmured. Her eyes brightened with understanding as she said, "Are you really? I know all about you, of course-I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" Harry looked dazed. I chuckled, and he shot me a look.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I heard Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." With that, she departed, and we all breathed an involuntary sigh of relief.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," Ron groaned. I snorted. "Hear, hear."

A little later, the compartment door was slid open _yet again_ by a pointy-faced platinum blond boy with silver eyes. On either side of him were rather large, ugly boys that didn't look as if they had enough brains between them to fill an eggshell. The pale, blond boy regarded us coldly. He saw Harry, and interest filled his silver eyes. "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter is in this compartment. So that's you, is it?"

"Yes…" Harry said hesitantly, watching the boys that seemed like bodyguards on either side of the blond boy. I didn't blame him. They looked extremely mean.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, not caring. "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

What a ridiculous name! Ron and I snickered, but we tried to disguise it as coughing. Malfoy eyed us with great disdain. "Think my name's funny, do you?" He glared at Ron. "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

I was outraged. How dare he talk like that to my friend? I stood angrily and he watched me reproachfully. "Never seen you around before. Are your parents magical?"

I glared at him. "No," I muttered resentfully.

He smirked. "Just as I suspected. You're nothing more than a filthy little—"

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD!" Ron bellowed, aiming his wand at Malfoy's throat. Harry looked confused, but stood as well. "I think you'd better leave, Malfoy," he said calmly, but you could see the anger in his emerald eyes.

The pale prat smirked again, and beckoned his apes to follow him as he left the compartment.

We sat down again, incensed. "Ooo, if I knew a good jinx, he'd be begging for mercy," I growled. Harry rubbed my back, attempting to calm me down. I looked at Ron, remembering something. "What was he about to call me?"

Ron looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Er—" He sighed. "He was about to say 'mudblood.' It's a really foul word for someone like you, a muggleborn. It means dirty blood."

"Oh." I looked at my knees. Were people really still that prejudiced? Hadn't Harry gotten rid of Voldemort ages ago? At least, that's what I'd read. But how come I could be judged because of my birth? It wasn't my fault that my parents weren't wizards. I didn't deserve this.

Harry slung an arm around my shoulder. "Ignore him, he's an ignorant git." Ron nodded in agreement.

I smiled, looking at my two best friends. "I know."

The compartment door opened _once more_. Hermione Granger stuck her bushy head in and said, "What _has_ been going on?"

"Just a slightly unfriendly encounter, nothing more." I smiled, but she didn't seem amused.

"What do you want?" Ron snapped.

"You'd better change, I've just been up front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there." She watched us worriedly. "Have you been fighting? You don't want to get in trouble before we even get there."

"Yes, well, would you mind leaving so we can change?"

"All right, fine." She left.

I said, "I'd better go too. To change, you know." Then I dashed after Hermione.

I found her in an almost-empty compartment with Neville, a black boy, and a boy with short brown hair. "Hi, Hermione," I said brightly.

She looked at me, seeming unsure. "Hello."

I sighed. "Look, I know Ron was being rather rude to you back there, but I just wanted to say that I may be friends with him, but I'm not like him. I would like to be your friend, if you don't mind."

She looked suspicious for a moment, but then she smiled tentatively. I pulled her in for a big Aisy-hug, and while she seemed startled, she hugged me back. I left to find a separate compartment to change into, and then returned to my boys.

They greeted me, dressed in their robes, and we chattered happily for the rest of the ride. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the compartment: "We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

I felt queasy, as nerves danced around in my stomach. Seeing Ron and Harry's similar expressions, I felt glad that I wasn't alone. I gripped both their hands, taking Ron by surprise, and waited to get off the train and start my education as a witch.

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**Well, it's time for the fun and mischief and magic to begin! Ah, I love this story already, and I love you guys. c:**

**Keep an eye out for the next update tonight MAYBE, but it will definitely be up by tomorrow at 3. It is the summer, so my updates will be nice and speedy. Also, I'm gonna work on making my chapters longer. I know how you people like your long chapters n.n**

**Till next chapter!  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi again! Happy Sunday! I know I know, it's nothing special, but it's another day of life we have, so let's celebrate with another chapter of Aisy and Harry! Enjoy c:**

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Harry glanced at me sideways. "You ready?"

I grinned uneasily. "Totally."

We got off the train together. Ron dropped my hand, drifting off to the side with a red face that matched his hair. I rolled my eyes and gripped Harry's hand tighter, smiling at him. He blushed a little but managed a lopsided grin.

Ron fake-gagged, and I let go of Harry to shove him into the fiery-headed twins he'd been with at the platform. They turned around, startled, and wore identical grins when they saw me.

"Hullo," the first one said.

"I'm Gred," his twin chirped.

"I'm Forge."

"Not that we don't appreciate you bullying our ickle Ronniekins—"

"Because believe us, we do—"

"But how about leaving us out of it, eh?"

I laughed delightedly. "Sorry, couldn't resist. I saw it as an opportunity to bug even more people, and I couldn't pass that up." I flashed my angelic smile.

The twins chortled, and turned back to their friends.

Ron was still red as the three of us heard a voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

"Hagrid!" Harry exclaimed, earning puzzled looks from Ron and me. "He took me to Diagon Alley. He saved me from my aunt and uncle."

We nodded, and followed him as he made his way to Hagrid. A bunch of other first years stood there as well, looking quite timid.

"Firs' years, follow me!" the scary large man led us on this long, narrow path. Little Neville was fretting because he'd lost his toad again. Eventually, we got to the end of the path and happened upon a dock, where a bunch of small rowboats were waiting for us. My heart stopped.

When I was two, my father took me fishing with Ryan. They were catching everything, and I was frustrated because I hadn't gotten a single fish. Eventually, I decided that instead of waiting for the fish to come to me, I'd come after them. I jumped into the water. I was under for a minute, and I nearly drowned. I've been mortally terrified of water ever since then.

"Aisy? Aisy!" Harry's voice pulled me out of my past. I faced him, my eyes wide. He noticed my terror and took my hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. I gave him a weak smile and climbed into a boat after him, followed by Hermione, who I grinned at, and Neville.

As soon as the boat took off, I let out a terrified squeal and somehow found myself in Harry's lap, squeezing his neck for dear life. I buried my head in his chest, and he had his arms around me, attempting to soothe me, saying things like, "Shh, it's fine, we're not actually in the water, you're not gonna drown, it's okay, calm down…" I just trembled uncontrollably.

Finally, after a million years, we touched land. I was the first one to dive out of the boat. I laid flat on the ground, facedown. I heard laughter, and Harry pulled me up, grinning. We all marched behind Hagrid to the castle door, where he knocked three times.

Immediately, it swung open, and in the doorway stood Professor McGonagall. "Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here," she said. We all entered the enormous entrance hall, large enough to fit my entire street. I stared around in wonder at the stone walls as we followed McGonagall. We could hear the drone of hundreds of voices to our right, coming from some random room. The rest of the witches and wizards must already be here. McGonagall led us to the small chamber to our right, and we all crowded together, nervous. I gulped and felt Harry and Ron grip my hands. This calmed me down somewhat and I smiled gratefully at them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She glanced at Ron's dirty nose and Neville's oddly-fastened cloak. "I shall return when we are ready for you," she addressed us again. "Please wait quietly."

Suddenly, about twenty ghosts streamed through the back wall. I heard some girls scream, and rolled my eyes. I personally thought the ghost looked rather cool. Ron's hand tightened a bit uncomfortably, so perhaps he didn't feel the same way. Harry merely stared at them in wonder.

The ghosts finally seemed to notice us. "What are you lot doing here?" one of them said, wearing a ruff and tights. "About to be Sorted, eh?"

I nodded my head confidently, and the ghost flashed me a smile. The fat little monk next to him squeaked, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know."

I wished I wouldn't be placed in Hufflepuff. I'd heard that it was not exactly the most prestigious House. Gryffindor sounded fantastic, but I'd hang myself if I were put in Slytherin. Not that I would be, of course, me being a muggleborn. I didn't have enough intelligence for Ravenclaw, so it seemed as if Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were my options. I was brave, wasn't I? Didn't I deserve to be in Gryffindor?

A sharp voice said, "Move along now, the ceremony is about to start." It was McGonagall. "Form a line and follow me," she ordered.

We traipsed after her. I saw Harry looking extremely nervous, and squeezed his hand for reassurance. Ron was so pale I could count every freckle. I didn't feel so nervous about being in front of people. I loved attention. It was a great fault of mine. I was just worried that I'd be placed in Hufflepuff.

As we stood in front of all the students, Hermione whispered to me, "Look at the ceiling. It's bewitched to look like the sky outside." I looked up. Sure enough, it was inky and dotted with bright stars. It was beautiful. "Cool," I whispered back.

In front, there was this strange hat with a rip near the brim. It opened that rip and began to sing, and my eyes widened in surprise. I tuned out the song, but did catch the words, "Try me on." So we had to put on the hat, and that was it?

"I'll kill Fred and George," Ron hissed. "They were going on about fighting a troll." Harry and I sniggered.

"When I call your name, come place the hat on your head and sit on the stool to be sorted," McGonagall said.

She began naming students, and I tuned out until I heard, "Domecq, Aislynn!" My heart dropped into my stomach, and I sat on the stool trembling slightly. I saw Harry giving me a thumbs up before the hat completely covered my eyes. Suddenly I heard this strange voice, _Let's see here, oh what a nice mind, you're a social one, aren't you? Not afraid to cause some trouble, I see. That's interesting. And plenty of bravery here as well, not to mention incredible loyalty. So… Where shall you go?_ Gryffindor… Gryffindor… Gryffindor… _Gryffindor, eh? Yes, I suppose that would help you the most… All right then… _And then the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I saw Fred and George cheering, and I grinned at them before sitting next to George. "Good job, little minx," he said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes goodnaturedly and turned to watch the Sorting.

I really only listened to my friends' names. "Granger, Hermione." The bushy-haired girl jammed the hat on her head, and the hat decided, "GRYFFINDOR!" I cheered heartily and hugged her when she sat next to me, looking positively thrilled.

My next friend's name: "Potter, Harry!" I craned my neck to see better. I crossed my fingers, praying, _Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor… _"GRYFFINDOR!" I whooped as loudly as I could, and when Harry sat across from me, high fived him because I couldn't hug him over the table. Finally, "Weasley, Ron."

"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry and I sighed in relief, and we laughed as we saw Ron's equally relieved expression. He sat next to Harry, and I high fived him too. I was so happy, having my best friends in my House.

I looked toward the front and saw all the teachers. I saw Hagrid and gave him a wave. Then in the middle, stood a man with long silver hair and beard. This must be Dumbledore. He stood up and opened his mouth, and the entire hall fell silent.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down, and the entire hall clapped and cheered. I laughed aloud. Harry looked at a tall red headed boy with horn-rimmed glasses, whom I recognized as Ron's brother, Percy. "Is he… A bit mad?" he asked.

Percy replied loftily, "Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes?" I stared at my plate, mouth agape, for all kinds of succulent foods had appeared on the long tables. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak (which I helped myself to, being an avid fan of bacon), boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. I piled my plate with bacon, steak, and fries, and dug into my fatty meal happily. A ghost came by, saying, "Hello new Gryffindors! I am Nearly Headless Nick, and I—"

"Nearly headless?" A boy named Seamus Finnigan asked. "How is that?"

Nearly Headless Nick looked mildy aggravated, but grabbed his left ear and swung it off his neck. There was only about a centimeter of skin and sinew attaching his head to the rest of him.

Eventually, dessert appeared on our plates: blocks of ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding. I enjoyed some ice cream and eclairs while the talk around me shifted to family. "I'm half-and-half," Seamus said. "Me dad's a muggle. Me mam didn't tell him she was a wizard till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." I laughed. ous

Neville put in, "Well, my gran brought me up, and she's a witch, but the family thought I was all-muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

He turned to me. "What about you, Aisy?"

I tensed. Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Harry chuckled awkwardly and said, "How about we just move on…"

"No, Harry." I glanced around at all the waiting faces. "It's fine. I am a muggleborn. My brother raised me, mostly, because my father has been a broken man since I was three. It's my mother. She…" I started to get a bit choked up. Harry reached under the table and patted my hand. I smiled weakly at him and continued. "She died. But she was a muggle too, I think."

The table looked sympathetic, but I can't stand sympathy. At all. I hate feeling weak, as if I need to depend on everyone for my survival. I don't need anybody. Ever. I am perfectly capable of handling myself. Getting sick of the pitying eyes, I stood and walked down the table to sit on Fred's other side. He'd heard my story, but he knew better than to pity me. He smiled at me and continued eating.

Finally, dinner ended, and Percy led us to the Gryffindor common room. It was behind a picture of an enormously fat woman in a pink dress. "Password?" she requested. Percy responded, "Caput Draconis."

The portrait swung open, and we all clambered into a cozy room with a roaring fireplace and plush couches and chairs everywhere. Harry grabbed my arm, and I faced him. "Sorry," he said.

I was puzzled. "About what?"

"That whole thing at the banquet."

I rolled my eyes. "Harry, that's not for you to apologize for. It's no one's fault. I'm fine, I swear."

He must've seen in my eyes that I was lying, because he pulled me into a hug. He held me tightly for what seemed like forever, and then pulled away, saying, "Goodnight." We both parted ways and headed for our dormitories.

Hermione caught up with me, and we, along with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, found a room with the door labeled, _First years_. Hermione and I chose beds on one side of the room, while Parvati and Lavender took the other side.

We all sat in our beds. Hermione got to talking about books, and I joined her, because I happen to love reading. I know, totally out of character, right? We discussed Hogwarts, A History for a while, before Lavender looked at me pointedly.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"So…" She smirked at me. "You and Harry, huh? You work quickly."

I choked, and Hermione had to thump my back. "What are you talking about?" I wheezed, my eyes watering.

"I saw you two hugging. You're in _love_, aren't you?" Lavender and Parvati giggled.

I shot them both glares. "Listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. Harry is my _best friend_. And only my best friend. Nothing more, nothing less. So lay off the couple comments, all right?" With that, I bid good night to Hermione and pulled the drapes around my bed shut. I buried my head beneath my pillow and quickly fell asleep. My dreams were filled with singing hats and long, silver hair.

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**Well, that's awkward. Lavender, you annoying person you. Don't worry guys, I'm not gonna have little kids fall in love. They're just really close, that's all. The love comes when they get older c;  
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**So anyway, please review! It means a lot to me, and it gives me the motivation to write and update more quickly! Review review review! Pretty please with treacle tarts on top :D  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
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**Rachel c;  
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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: YO WUT UP MY HOMEDOGS?  
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**Totally kidding. :3 I really don't have anything to say, so just shut up and read my story.  
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**Kidding again! :D  
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Hogwarts was crazy. Everything about it. But since I'm equally mental, this just made it even more amazing for me.

Did I mention in Diagon Alley, I finally persuaded Father to get me an owl? Well I did! She was beautiful—black with white flecks everywhere, and piercing golden eyes. I loved her so much, and named her Velox, which is Latin for swift.

Anyway, I found myself desperately missing my brother and father, even though I loved it here. So I sat on my bed in my dormitory one day, because the common room was too crowded, and got some paper. I dipped my quill into a bottle of ink and wrote:

_Dear Ryan and Father,_

_I miss you both so much! I'm having a fantastic time here. Using magic is a wonderful experience, and I cannot believe I never knew this world existed. I am so privileged to be a witch._

_I'm doing well. How are you both? Before you ask, Harry is fine as well. He hates Snape. To be honest, who wouldn't? His greasy hair and horrible attitude combined makes him a rather unpleasant person. Oh right, you don't know who Snape is. He's our Potions professor. (Potions is a class.)He's downright horrible. Would you like to hear what happened in the very first class? Of course you would._

_We had all settled down in our seats, me with Harry, and Ron with Hermione (much to his displeasure). Snape swooped in like a great ugly bat, and the glare he shot at Harry and me sent shivers running down my spine. He started asking Harry all these questions about potion ingredients that no one but Hermione knew the answers to. He made Harry out to be a fool just because he hadn't memorized his textbooks! I was incensed, but I dared not speak a word. Does that make me a coward?_

_Anyway, on a more positive note, I'm going to meet Harry's friend, Hagrid, so I've got to go. Bye! _

_Love always,_

_Aisy_

_P.S If you want to write back, attach your letter to Velox's leg, and she'll take it straight to me._

Finishing my letter, I attached it to Velox's leg and sent her away. Then I went to meet Harry and Ron so that we could leave for Hagrid's hut.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A notice appeared in the common room. Flying lessons started on Thursday. Longbottom seemed terrified, and Hermione wasn't far behind him. She'd tried to learn how to fly out of a book, but rattling off flying tips at breakfast didn't exactly help anybody, except for maybe Longbottom, who held on to her every word. She was interrupted when the owls came in however. One dropped a package in Longbottom's lap, and he pulled out a clear orb with white mist floating in it. "A Remembrall!" he exclaimed. "Gran knows I'm forgetful. It turns red when you've—Er…" The orb glowed scarlet. "Forgotten something," he mumbled. He struggled to remember what he'd forgotten, when Malfoy appeared out of nowhere and snatched the Remembrall out of his hands. "What's this?"

Harry and I stood. "Give it back," Harry said. "NOW," I growled. Malfoy smirked at us, tossed the Remembrall onto the table, and sauntered off. We sat again.

"He makes me so mad," I snarled. Harry patted my arm.

"He's a prat." Ron glared after him. "A pale, nosy, insufferable git."

We all chuckled.

At 3:30 that afternoon, every one of us, including the Slytherins, traipsed onto the grounds for our flying lesson. Nerves grumbled in my stomach, and from my friends' pale faces, they felt the same way.

Madam Hooch approached us. "Stand by a broom, each of you." We did. "Now, extend your right hands over your brooms, and say quite clearly, 'Up.'"

"UP!" Everyone shouted. My broom hesitantly entered my grasp, while Harry's shot straight up. Neville's rolled around, and Hermione's didn't move at all. Ron's hovered halfway. Eventually, when everyone got their brooms in their hand, Madam Hooch helped us all mount our brooms. "Now, when I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground, hard." She put the whistle to her mouth. But Neville pushed off before she blew.

He soared into the air shakily, unable to control his broom. "GET DOWN, BOY!" Hooch shrieked, but it was too late. He hit the wall of the castle and fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Several people gasped.

Hooch felt his wrist. "Broken," she muttered. She looked at all of us. "Not one broom in the air until I return! I'm bringing this boy to the hospital wing." And levitating Neville, she departed.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy's snarky voice got my attention, and I glared daggers at him. The Slytherins burst into raucous laughter.

"Shut it, you pale prat!" I barked.

Pansy Parkinson sneered at me, her pug face even more squished-looking than usual. "Defending Longbottom, are we? Never thought _you'd _like fat little babies. Then again, being a mudblood—"

Parvati yelled, "Don't say that word, pug face!" The other Gryffindors looked ready to jump Parkinson. I felt raging anger coursing through me. I leaped on Parkinson and rained my fists on her head, not noticing Harry and Malfoy zooming around in the air.

As Parkinson and I clawed at each other, everyone stood around us, Slytherins cheering on Pugface, and Gryffindors screaming my name. I hit her again and again and again and again…

It seemed like forever until someone finally pulled me off of her. I was barely scratched, but she looked dreadful. Both her eyes were dark purple and swollen. She had bruises on every part of her visible, a busted lip, and a bloody nose. In some places, her hair was pulled out.

"Miss Domecq! That was completely unacceptable behavior! You do not attack a student!" McGonagall was seething.

Ron spoke up, "But Professor, she called her a mudblood."

McGonagall's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Is that so?" The Gryffindors murmured assent, shooting triumphant glances at the Slytherins and congratulatory smiles at me. They seemed proud of what I'd done, and knowing I made my friends proud filled me with warmth. Hermione looked supremely disapproving, but I'd find some way to butter her up later.

McGonagall pressed her lips together tightly. "Detention for both of you. Tonight. Report to my office at 8. Potter, you are to come with me."

I just noticed Harry standing near McGonagall. He shot me a confused look. I shook my head slightly. _Later_.

He nodded and followed McGonagall inside the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

After serving detention with McGonagall, I entered my common room—and was instantly swarmed by cheering people.

"I can't believe it! You beat up a Slytherin!"

"Did you really pound Pugface Parkinson?"

"Way to put those Slytherins in their place!"

Fred and George, beaming, picked me up and put me on their shoulders. I looked around at everybody and grinned widely. Wow, I'd thought that the Gryffindors at flying training had been proud of me, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the House. The common room chanted my name over and over again, and while I knew I was beet red, I didn't care. I'd never felt happier in all my life, except for the day I'd met Harry.

Eventually, the crowd let me go and I joined Hermione over by the fireplace. "Hiya!" I chirped, still grinning like an idiot.

She fixed me with a disapproving stare, but I could see her resolve cracking. Finally, the corners of her lips turned up, and she said, "You really showed her. Oomph—" I pulled her in and squeezed her tight, glad she'd forgiven me for misbehaving.

I suddenly laughed. "I thought you'd be angry with me."

She sighed. "I was, but she called you that word, and it must have been really offensive, because everyone reacted so angrily, and then you jumped on her… What does that word mean?"

I bit my lip. "Mudblood. It's, er… a word for people like us. You know, muggleborns. It's a really dirty word. It means dirty blood." I grimaced.

She looked hurt. "Huh."

"Don't worry about it. Slytherins are idiots." I gave her a grin, and she rewarded me with a tiny smile.

"No arguments there." We laughed and made our way to the dormitory, when a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned to my left and found two bright grins, one of them under stunning green eyes and unruly charcoal hair, and the other under shocking red hair and sky blue eyes that were rather similar to my own. Hermione stiffened and said, "I'll see you in our dorm, Aisy," and scurried off. It was probably Ron that chased her away, but I didn't comment.

"You were amazing!" Ron exclaimed, high fiving me. "You should have seen the Slytherins' faces, they were humiliated! And that's nothing compared to what Pansy looked like when she got back from the hospital wing…"

Harry looked extremely proud, high fiving me too. "I sure wish I'd seen it. If only Malfoy hadn't distracted me." He suddenly looked furious.

I quirked an eyebrow. "You know, I never did find out what happened with you and Malfoy. Care to explain?"

He sighed. "All right, let's sit." We all sat on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace, crossing our legs. Ron and I sat side by side, facing Harry, like children during story time. "Anyway, as soon as Madam Hooch left with Neville, Malfoy grabbed his Remembrall, which had fallen out of his pocket. I demanded that he give it back, but he merely flew into the air on his broomstick. I chased him into the air. We flew around a bit, before he dropped it. It had almost hit the ground when I dived and caught it." At this, Ron and I wore impressed looks. "McGonagall came out a second later and called me down to the ground, when she noticed a large group of kids to her right cheering. She broke it up and we saw you on top of Pansy, beating her down like a gorilla. Oh calm down, Aisy, It was awesome." I had scoffed at his gorilla comment, but I smiled to let him know to finish the story. "She pulled you off of her, and after giving you detention she led me to Flitwick's room. I was so scared! She asked for Wood, and at first I thought Wood was some sort of paddle she'd use on me, but it was a fifth year boy. Turns out he was Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And you're looking at the team's new Seeker," he finished, blushing slightly but still managing to look proud. Ron and I made sounds of approval and congratulations and high fived him.

"So you weren't punished at all?" I asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"No! It was brilliant."

Ron looked wonderstruck. "Harry, you know you're the youngest Seeker in—"

"A century. That's right. McGonagall told me."

I beamed with pride and hugged my best friend. Then I suddenly grew angry. "You'd better beat Slytherin in your first match against them," I said. "If you don't, I may have to kill you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll try my best." He then went on to explain his job on the team, and all the rules of Quidditch. Wood had showed him earlier that day. "Oh yeah. Ron, for our duel with Malfoy tonight—"

"What?" I blurted. "You're going to a duel?"

Ron and Harry looked suddenly sheepish. "Er, yeah…"

Ron scowled. "That Hermione Granger knows about it. She's probably going to interfere. She's far too nosy."

I glared at him. "Don't talk about Hermione. She's my friend. You are too, but I won't hesitate to hex you."

He sighed impatiently. "Right, whatever. Harry, we need to go get ready."

Harry nodded and they both stood and headed for their dorm, with a final wave at me. "Good luck!" I yelled. Then I dashed to my dorm.

"HERMIONE!" I yelled, jumping on her bed. She'd fallen asleep. "HERMIONE HERMIONE HERMIONE!"

"W- What?" she spluttered, staring at me with wide brown eyes. "Aisy! What _is _it?"

"You've got to stop Ron and Harry. They can't meet Malfoy tonight! They'll be caught and expelled!"

She groaned. "I _know_, Aisy, why do you think I went to bed so early? It's so I can be wide awake to stop them from going." She pulled on a pink, fluffy robe and slippers. "I'm going to the common room to wait for them. Everyone else should be in bed by now." She glanced at me. "Coming?"

I stifled a yawn. "No, I'm fine. How about I wait here while you go bust the boys?"

"You'll wait up?"

My eyes half closed. I opened them wider and nodded at Hermione. "Sure."

She sighed and walked toward the door, pulling it open. "See you soon," she said, and left.

I fell onto my bed and pulled the curtains around me. I stared up at the ceiling, and the last thing I was conscious of was the thought of bright, green eyes. Then I drifted into unconsciousness.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, Hermione was rather cross with me. After explaining what had happened that night, she glared at me. "You said you'd wait up!" she said accusingly.

"I was exhausted, 'Mione!"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's get dressed and go down to breakfast." And so we did.

As soon as I spotted Ron and Harry in their usual spots, I marched over and smacked them both on the head. "Ow!" they cried. Ron spun around and glared at me. "What was that for?"

I took my place across from Harry, with Hermione on my left, across from Ron. "You both are a couple of stupid, moronic, ignorant gits!" I spat. Harry looked down at his plate sheepishly, while Ron continued giving me evil eyes.

"What did you expect us to do, Aisy?" he hissed. "Let Malfoy walk all over us?"

"He didn't even _show up_!" I hollered, causing people all around us to turn around and stare at me. "You both snuck around the castle at _night_, attempting to fight a boy who didn't even bloody show up! Do you know what could have happened if you'd been found?" I raged.

Harry and Ron gulped. Still seething, I glared ferociously at my waffles. I sighed and calmed down. "Did you at least find out what the dog was guarding?" I whispered.

Harry shook his head, disappointed. I rolled my eyes and stood up from the table in a huff. I'm going outside. We have a free period."

Harry stood immediately. "I'll go with you." I groaned, but decided to forgive him. We walked out onto the grounds. We went over to a pretty tree beside the lake and sat under it.

Harry looked shyly at me. "Aisy…"

"What you did was stupid. Incredibly stupid. Astonishingly stupid. Phenomenally stupid."

"I know." He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up even more. "We're sorry, you know. We know we could've gotten in trouble. But you didn't see how Malfoy acted towards us. We couldn't let him get the best of us."

I sighed. I looked out toward the lake. "Fine. I forgive you."

Harry beamed and hugged me. "BUT—" I said, causing Harry to let go of me. "Next time you do something like that…"

Harry looked apprehensive.

"Take me along, would you?" I smiled slyly at him. He laughed and nodded. "Most definitely."

The next day at breakfast, Harry received a long parcel in the mail. Opening it up, he saw it was a Nimbus 2000. All of us gasped.

Malfoy walked by and snapped, "A broomstick, Potter? First years aren't allowed to have those."

As soon as Flitwick walked by, Malfoy got his attention. "Potter's got a broomstick."

Flitwick inspected it and smiled. "Ah yes, McGonagall informed me of the special circumstances. Congratulations, Mr. Potter." He walked on, and we all laughed at the appalled expression on Malfoy's face.

On Halloween morning, we all smelled baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. It smelled delicious. In Charms, Flitwick taught us the levitating charm.

From my spot next to Harry, I glanced over at Ron and Hermione. He was jabbing his wand in the air, and Hermione eventually got fed up and stopped his arm. "No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong," she snapped. "It's WinGARdium LeviOsa, not LeviosA. And it's more of a swish and flick movement."

He sneered at her. "You do it, then, if you're so clever."

She rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at the feather they were supposed to levitate. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she exclaimed. The feather soared high into the air. Flitwick passed by, beaming. "Look at this, everyone! Miss Granger's got it! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Ron scowled, and was in a rotten mood for the rest of class.

As we walked out of the room, Ron, Harry, and I, the angry redhead went on and on about Hermione. "She's such an insufferable know-it-all, it's no wonder no one can stand her. She wonders why she hasn't got any friends?"

He was interrupted as a bushy-headed brunette pushed past us with tears running down her face. I growled and slapped Ron upside the head. "You prat!" I spat, and dashed after Hermione.

I found her in the girls' loo, sobbing in a stall. "'Mione…" I sighed. "'Mione, come out."

"Go away, Aisy. Please," she choked. "I don't want to see anybody."

I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to persuade her. "All right, 'Mione, but I'll be here for you when you come out." I sighed again and exited the bathroom, heading for the Great Hall. I sat in front of Harry, glaring at Ron. "She's in the loo, crying her eyes out. You're a real git, you know that?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Yeah," he mumbled, looking down at his plate.

Suddenly, Professor Quirrell came dashing down the Great Hall, looking panicked. "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!" he yelled. "Thought you ought to know," he added, and passed out.

I stared at Ron and Harry, wide-eyed. I'd read about trolls, and they were not creatures to trifle with. They stared back at me, looking just as scared.

Dumbledore stood. "All students are to be lead by their prefects to their house common rooms. No one is to stray."

As we marched toward the Fat Lady's painting, Harry gasped suddenly. "Hermione! She doesn't know about the troll!"

I gasped too, horror filling me. "You'd both better go get her!"

They looked apprehensive, but nodded. As they dashed off, terror for my three best friends loomed in my stomach. What if the troll… killed them? Biting my lip so hard that it started bleeding, I sat in front of the fireplace, peering into it desperately, as if it could help me. I knew I should have gone after them, but something in me told me not to. It wasn't that I was a coward, because really, all I'd wanted to do was dash after them to help. But something told me to let them handle it. However, if they died because of me, I don't think I would've been able to forgive myself. Ever.

Much, much later, I heard the portrait door swing open. I jumped up and whirled around to see all three of them there, smiling at each other. I screamed and wrapped them all up into a humongous hug, tears streaming down my face.

"You're alive! You're safe!" I cried, letting them go. They all laughed at my obvious excitement and smiled at each other again. I was confused. "Did I miss something?"

Hermione looked at the boys. "Let's tell her." We all sat at a table, and they told me everything that had happened in the girl's bathroom, all the way up until Hermione covered for them. I raised my eyebrows at this point. "Hermione Granger, breaking the rules?"

She laughed sheepishly. The boys grinned. I smiled at all three of them. "So, are you guys friends now, or what?"

They looked at each other and nodded, grinning. I squealed and hugged them again.

And thus, the Fearsome Foursome, as I jokingly called us, was formed. Or, as everyone else in the Wizarding world would eventually call us, the Golden Quartet.

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**HEY AGAIN. Random bottom of the page Author's Note that's virtually useless.  
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**Anyways, I would love some feedback for my story. I need some reactions people! :D No pressure :3  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: All righty then! I know I'm kinda rushing first year, but I'm trying to get to the older years quickly. They'll be much more fun! So forgive me, please? c:**

**lostfeather1: Dude, I love you! xD Your reviews always brighten up my day. And yeah, Aisy's awesome, and they're perfect for each other. Hehe c:  
**

**Pretty Monster Princess: Yep, I'm gonna do all 7 books, and maybe a little past that. What's a story without a good epilogue? I think I might do a little story for each book, but I don't know. We'll see where my convoluted brain takes me. c:  
**

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As we entered November, the Quidditch season began. Harry was out with the team almost all the time now. While I still had Ron and Hermione, I was really missing my best friend. So I decided to go and watch their practice one chilly afternoon. Decked out in my red and gold scarf and scarlet mittens, I sat in the stands and watched as Harry and the rest of the team, including the redheaded Weasley twins, zoomed around in the air. I spotted Angelina Johnson with a red ball in her arm, flying toward the three hoops, where Wood was floating around, waiting to defend the hoops. I watched the twins beat away bludgers with their large bats, their moves so similar it was as if they had choreographed them. But mostly, I watched Harry.

He was extremely good at flying. Granted, I didn't really have many people to compare him to, but from what I saw, he was bloody fantastic. He caught the tiny golden snitch quickly, too. On his third run, I didn't even see the golden ball before he had it in his fist.

Eventually, the practice ended and the team landed on the pitch. I hurried down to where they were and found Harry waiting for me, grinning. I hugged him, but pulled away immediately when I heard wolf whistles behind me. Harry's face was scarlet, and I'm sure mine was too. The twins had whistled, and they both grinned at us mischievously.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Harry. "You were bloody amazing!" I said.

He beamed again. "I guess," he said. I knew he was trying to not to be arrogant, but I also knew that he knew that he was pretty good. We went inside the castle, met with Ron and Hermione, and started working on our Potions essays.

A few weeks later, it was the morning of the first Quidditch match. Harry refused to eat anything, which worried us. "You've got to eat something," Ron said.

"Not hungry."

"Just a bit of toast," Hermione wheedled.

"No."

I huffed. "Harry, you are going to eat something right now. I don't care what it is. But you are going to eat."

He glared at me. "Aisy, leave it. I'm not hungry."

I sighed. "You'll do fine, Harry. You're an amazing Seeker. The other team won't know what hit them."

At this, he softened, and nibbled on a piece of buttered toast. Ron, Hermione, and I grinned at each other.

The actual match went by rather quickly. Snape was jinxing Harry's broom, so Hermione set fire to his robes. It was hilarious to see a flaming Snape bouncing around. Harry caught the Snitch, of course. When the match was over, we had a bit of a celebration in the common room.

We kept trying to get information from Hagrid about the three-headed dog, and what it could be guarding. We knew Hagrid must have something to do with it. One day we tried to talk to him about Snape, who had been bitten on the leg by the savage beast. He wouldn't hear any of our accusations.

Long story short, we discovered that someone named Nicolas Flamel was involved. However, no matter how much we searched for him in books, we found nothing.

Soon the Christmas holidays came. I was going home, of course, for I missed my family terribly. Hermione was too, so we made plans for her to come stay at my house the day after Christmas until we had to go to school. I was excited. I asked Harry if he and Ron would like to visit, but he declined. So when the train was set to leave, I hugged the boys as tightly as I could.

"I'm going to miss you both!" I whined.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Aisy, it's only three weeks. You'll be back sooner than you could say 'Quidditch.'"

Harry added, "Plus, you'll have 'Mione! You won't be without friends."

I knew they were right, but I still hugged them both one last time. Then I did something I'd never done before—I kissed Harry.

It was only on the cheek, and it was a totally friendly gesture. I boarded the train and waved at my best friends, and they waved back. I never saw the red staining Harry's cheeks.

Hermione and I got a compartment together, along with Neville. I'd taken to Neville. He was sweet, even though he was a bit of a moron at times.

Arriving at the station, I was one of the first people off the train. Searching hungrily for the face I was dying to see, I squealed loudly when I saw him: Ryan. I dashed into his arms, and he wrapped them tightly around me. "Aisy, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too!" I exclaimed. Then I brought something out of my coat pocket: a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "Early Christmas present," I said, handing them to him. "But be warned, when they say every flavor, they mean _every_ flavor. I accidentally ate a boogie-flavored one last week."

He wrinkled his nose playfully. Then he took my hand, and we walked home together.

oOoOoOoOo

It was Christmas before I knew it. I woke up with a bright smile already etched on my face, and threw the covers off. As I dashed downstairs, I gasped. Hermione had come a day early.

"Aisy!" she yelled. "'Mione!" I yelled back. We hugged briefly, and then turned to the two piles of presents on the floor. She'd brought hers along so we could open them together. Ryan and Father came downstairs, Father with a rare smile on his face. "Go on then," Ryan urged. "Open them."

So we did. I got something from Mrs. Weasley, surprisingly. It was a thick, woolly, white sweater with a red "A" stitched onto it, along with a tray of fudge. I pulled the sweater on and saw that Hermione was wearing one too, except hers was green with a white "H". My next gift was from Fred and George, shockingly. It was an assortment of gifts from Zonko's and I smiled and shook my head. From Ron, I got a box of Every Flavored Beans, which Ryan immediately took from me. He was rather fond of them. From Father and Ryan, I got a beautiful silver bracelet with little snowman charms. From Hermione, a book titled 101 Ways to Stay Out of Trouble. I glared at her playfully while she just smiled innocently at me, eating some of her fudge. Finally, from Harry, I got an enchanted quill that never runs out of ink. It was a lovely quill.

The rest of the holidays went by in a blur. I had a blast with Hermione, and I loved spending time with my family, but I was extremely eager to see Harry and Ron. As soon as the train let us off at Hogwarts, I dashed to the Great Hall with Hermione. The boys were waiting for us, and beamed when they saw us. After many hugs (mostly me, crushing their bones), we all sat down to eat.

Looking back on it now, the rest of the year passed rather quickly. We finally discovered who Flamel was, and that Fluffy was guarding the Sorcerer's stone. Toward the end of the school year, however, Snape decided to make his move.

Harry met us in the common room in a panic. "He's getting it tonight," he said. "Snape is stealing the stone tonight."

We rushed down the corridors, looking for Dumbledore. However, we bumped into McGonagall. "What is the meaning of this?"

Harry panted, "We need to see Dumbledore. Someone's going after the Sorcerer's Stone tonight—"

McGonagall appeared taken aback. "How do you—No matter. Professor Dumbledore is visiting the Ministry at the moment, Potter. And let me assure you, no one can steal the stone. It is far too well guarded." She refused to listen to our ramblings, and walked off. We finally gave up and ran to the locked door where Fluffy was hidden. We saw a magical harp playing, which kept Fluffy asleep.

Hurrying to the trap door, we jumped in, one by one.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I walked to the hospital wing alone to visit Harry. I heard about what had happened in the room with Quirrell. He'd had Moldy Voldy attached the back of his head, and attempted to kill Harry. Terror still filled me whenever I thought about this, even though Harry was now perfectly safe.

Reaching the wing, it took a lot of persuading for Madam Pomfrey to allow me to stay. I sat by Harry's bed, staring at him. His hair covered his forehead and most of his eyes. I reached over and brushed it away. I grew sad as I stared at him. What if I'd lost him tonight? I reached over again, this time grasping his hand. It was a little cold.

At my touch, he stirred. Blinking his eyes blearily, he stared all around the room, his eyes finally resting on me, where they grew warm. I smiled. "How you feeling?"

He coughed. "I'm good. I guess."

"Do you remember anything?"

He frowned. "Er, bits and pieces. I remember Voldemort." He shuddered.

So did I. I couldn't believe he'd had to face Voldy already. We were only kids, so why should we have to fight the bad guys? Harry suddenly remembered everything that had happened, and explained it to me. I hadn't gone with him and Hermione to the potions room, for I'd stayed behind to care for Ron when he was injured on the chessboard. Hermione ran out a few minutes later, helped me revive Ron, and together we went to find Dumbledore.

Harry finished his story and rested his head back against the pillow. Madam Pomfrey came over, saw our conjoined hands, turned red, and bustled off again. I laughed and let go of Harry. "I'm gonna go," I said softly. "Okay," he breathed. I hugged him for a moment and headed back to the common room.

Before we knew it, summer was upon us. Ron took me and Harry aside and said, "You both need to come stay at my house."

I readily agreed, but Harry said, "Maybe later on in the summer. I'm not allowed to stay with you permanently." He scowled. I patted him on the back sympathetically. I knew he'd have to put up with the rotten Dursleys again.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Before I knew it, it was August 31st. I'd been to Diagon Alley the previous week with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Malfoy was there, and some man named Lockhart who I'd hated instantly. He was an attention-hogging dunderhead. I know, I know, I like attention too, but I don't actually go out on a limb to get it. I simply wait for the spotlight to come to me. It was just our luck that Lockhart was to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Anyway, I packed my bags, then checked them twice. I was so thrilled to be returning to Hogwarts. I could hardly sleep that night.

We set out for King's Cross station first thing the next morning. I hugged my brother and father and headed through the barrier. Suddenly: "AISY!"

I whirled around to see the bright face of one of my best friends, Hermione. I beamed and we hugged tightly. "Have you seen Ron and Harry?" I asked her.

She frowned. "No, I thought you would have."

I furrowed my brow. "Isn't it nearly time for the train to take off?" She nodded.

I groaned. "Those idiots. Come on, let's find Neville and get a compartment.

As soon as we did just that, the door slid open. A rather pretty first year with shockingly red hair and lovely blue eyes peered in. I knew instantly who this was, for I recognized her from last year. She was Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister. "Is it okay if I sit here? Everywhere else is full, and I can't find my brothers."

I smiled. "Sure thing. Ginny, aren't you?"

She seemed surprised. "Yes. How'd you know?"

"Your mother told me last year at the station."

"Oh, that _was_ you. I thought so, but I wasn't sure. You were supposed to stay over, but you didn't. Why not?"

"I decided to spend the summer with my brother."

"Oh, all right." She looked at Hermione. "You are?"

"Hermione Granger," she responded.

Ginny gasped. "Oh my gods!" she exclaimed. "_You're _the girl my brother's—"

"Who wants a game of Exploding Snap?" I interjected loudly. Hermione seemed puzzled, her brow furrowing. Ginny stared at me. I didn't want Ron's feelings to be revealed. They'd been rather obvious last year, but I wasn't going to let Ginny ruin their friendship by telling Hermione that Ron fancied her. She'd have to figure it out for herself.

Hermione glanced between me and Ginny. I stared Ginny down, willing her to say nothing, and she finally nodded a tiny bit. "I'll play with you."

I noticed something suddenly, while we were playing. "Harry. And Ron. They're not here."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But the train left five minutes ago! Where are they?"

Dread filled me. I turned to Ginny. "Do you know where they might be?"

She frowned. "They came with us. They were supposed to go through the barrier after all of us. I guess they didn't."

I was shocked. "But how will they get to Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Surely they'll be smart enough to send an owl," reasoned Hermione. I relaxed in my seat, knowing she was right.

oOoOoOoOoOo

She was wrong. The boys had taken a _flying car_ to school. I was rather jealous, actually. Flying in a car would have been so cool! Hermione, however, was livid. She ranted on about how they'd be expelled, and how incredibly stupid they were. When the feast was over, we waited outside the common room entrance for Ron and Harry.

When they showed up, looking bruised and battered, Hermione and I immediately swooped upon them. "There you are!" I cried, hugging them both. "A flying car?" Hermione hissed. "You actually had the audacity to take a flying car?"

Ron and Harry looked too relieved to be ashamed. I asked, puzzled, "What's up with you both?"

"We were nearly murdered by the Whomping Willow. You know, that old tree on the grounds," Harry explained. His glasses were broken, I suddenly noticed. I pointed my wand at them and said, "Oculus Reparo!" He mumbled his thanks and adjusted them on his nose.

Meanwhile, Hermione was going off on Ron while he stared at the ground, his face like a bright red tomato. "_You're both a couple of idiots! How could you? Did it ever occur to you to owl the school, perhaps, and inform them of your predicament? No! Of course not! Because only people with __**brains**__ would have thought to do that!"_

I sighed heavily. "'Mione, they get it. I'm sure they've already been told off by McGonagall. They don't need you biting their heads off."

The boys looked at me gratefully. Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed. "Whatever." She clambered through the portrait hole, and we followed her.

Immediately, loud cheers greeted us. People patted Ron and Harry on the back, praising their inspired entrance. I rolled my eyes and laughed, while Hermione maintained a look of supreme disdain. Finally, we all decided to go to bed. I hugged Harry (ignoring some giggles from Lavender and Parvati) and went with Hermione to our dorm.

Harry suddenly held out his arm to stop me. He looked extremely troubled, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. I frowned. "What is it, Harry?"

"I—" He stopped. "I think—" He stopped again. He furrowed his brow. I rolled my eyes. "Tell me tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded, still frowning. I turned around and rejoined Hermione, and together we traipsed up the stairs and into our dormitory. As I lay in my bed, relishing in its softness, I wondered what Harry had been trying to tell me. Eventually, I fell asleep.

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**Yup, that's the end of Chapter 7. So, what do you think Harry was trying to say? c:  
**

**Please please please review! Without reviews, I'm totally lost, seriously. Reviews help me a lot more than you think. They're like, food for the soul, you know?  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hiya loves! I know I took a while to update, and I'm SO SORRY! I had to take care of some personal stuff, but not to worry, I'm back and ready for some more writing! **

**Random fact: Aisy's surname is pronounced like Domeck.  
**

**Another random fact: I actually do own something in this story. Aisy's all mine, I'm proud to say. And I adore her c:  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

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I woke up the next morning and stretched my limbs as far as they'd go. I yawned heavily and glanced over at Hermione's bed. She was nothing but a great lump under her blankets. Passing my eyes over Lavender and Parvati's bed, I saw that they were asleep as well. This was odd. I was usually the last one up, Hermione having to drag me onto the floor, where she'd poke and prod me until I finally surrendered to the morning light.

I got dressed and headed down to the common room with a book handy, The Secret Garden. I loved this book. I often read it when I had nothing to do. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I noticed a mess of charcoal-colored hair on the couch in front of the fireplace. I smiled and went over to join my best friend. "Hiya," I chirped.

He smiled back at me. "Morning. Why are you up so early?"

"I might ask you the same thing."

He ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Couldn't sleep. I've been here for hours."

I gaped at him. "Harry, you're going to fall asleep in class. You should've tried harder to get more sleep."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Mum, I'll be fine." I swatted his arm and he grinned at me. Suddenly I remembered something. "Hey, what did you want to tell me last night?"

He reddened slightly, but I pretended not to notice. "Er, nevermind about that."

I frowned, but decided to let it go. "All right..."

"Hey you guys! Up already?" I heard Ron's booming voice. I saw now that more students were entering the common room, some leaving for breakfast, others lagging behind.

I smiled at my redheaded friend. "Wanna go get something to eat?"

"What about Hermione?" he asked sharply, then turned bright red. I grinned evilly. "Why do you care so much about Hermione, eh, Ron?" I asked, poking him.

He looked at his feet. "I don't."

Harry wore a grin to match mine. "You sure seem like you do. You want to eat breakfast with her pretty badly, don't you?"

He glared at us, still tomato-colored. "No!"

I nudged Harry, who nudged me back. "I think Ronniekins is in _love_—"

"SHUT UP!" Ron bellowed, before turning and running out of the common room. Harry and I dissolved into a laughing fit. Hermione came up suddenly and asked, "What in Merlin's name was that all about?"

I wiped tears of mirth from my eyes and grinned at Hermione. "Just joshing around with our friend."

Harry nodded. Hermione narrowed her eyes and said, "Well, let's get on to breakfast then. I'm starved."

So we three ate our food and then headed off to Potions, our least favorite class.

A couple weeks later, Harry had his first Quidditch practice. Ron, Hermione, and I sat in the stands. As the Gryffindors strode out onto the field, Ron pointed out something on the other side of the pitch. "Uh oh guys, here comes trouble."

A bunch of Slytherins were walking, brooms in hand, toward the Gryffindor team. I growled when I noticed Malfoy among them. "Let's go," I grumbled.

The three of us trotted to stand by the Gryffindor team. They were exchanging less than friendly words with the Slytherins. Malfoy sneered at us, showing off the brooms his father had bought for the team. Hermione finally snapped. "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," she said scathingly. "They got in on pure talent."

Malfoy's smirk flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood."

The Gryffindor team was outraged. I pulled my hand back, ready to slap the smirk off of Malfoy's face. Ron pulled his wand out. "Eat slugs, Malfoy!" he raged. But as his wand was broken, the spell backfired. He fell onto the ground, violently vomiting slugs.

Harry, Hermione, and I helped him to Hagrid's hut. We spent the rest of the day fixing him up and comforting Hermione.

Days melted into weeks. Harry and I spent more time together than ever. I honestly don't know why. We just enjoyed being around each other.

Our favorite place was the tree by the lake. We'd sit there and talk for hours, occasionally being joined by Ron and Hermione. One day, ten days before Halloween, our discussion was about Sir Nick's Deathday Party, which we'd accepted an invitation to. Unfortunately, this party took place during the Halloween feast, which bummed me out. I adored the Halloween feast. The food was amazing, and I have a bit of an obsession with pumpkin.

"Come on, Harry," I whined. "Surely he won't notice if I'm not there. You, Ron, and Hermione can go. He'll be thrilled with having just three living people."

"Aisy. You're going. You're not making me go without you. If you're not there it'll be dead boring."

I groaned in frustration. "But you'll have Ron to entertain you! Harry, you know how much I love the Halloween feast, and you know how much I was looking forward to it. Please cover for me? Please?"

He fixed me with a stern look, but I knew how to break him. I aimed my baby blue eyes at him and jutted out my lower lip the tiniest bit. I pleaded with my eyes.

He tried to maintain his composure but finally broke down. He groaned and fell back onto the grass. "Fine," he mumbled.

"Thank you so much!" I cried with glee, tackling him. Somehow I found myself on his chest, my face inches from his. He stared at me for a few seconds, then became red. I blushed and pushed myself off of him. "Sorry," I muttered.

"S'okay," he responded, not meeting my eyes. I grinned at him again. "You're the most amazing person ever."

He smiled cheekily back at me. "Yeah I know." I punched him in the arm, and we both laughed.

Ten days later, I woke up with a big grin on my face. It was Halloween, my absolute favorite day of the year, besides April Fool's Day. I had plans with two of my friends whom I hadn't spoken to in a while: the Weasley twins. We were going to pull a lovely prank on our good friend Filch.

I clambered out of bed and pulled my school robes on. I looked in the mirror. My eyes looked exceptionally bright, and my dark chocolate hair had gotten a lot longer. It now reached halfway down my back. It rested in gentle waves as it always did. I grinned evilly at my reflection, making me look mad, and darted down the stairs. I left the common room, and when I found the statue of the hump-backed witch, I whispered, "Dissendium," and entered the tunnel.

I crawled for what seemed like forever. Finally, I burst through the trapdoor in the basement of Honeydukes. I found myself face to face with the twins' evil grins. I matched their expressions and followed them out of Honeydukes and into Hogsmeade.

We immediately headed to Zonko's. Even though I was only a second year, and therefore not allowed in Hogsmeade, I'd been to the shop often. "Hi, Zonko!" I said, beaming at the elderly shop owner. He grinned merrily at me and the twins. "How can I help you three today?"

The twins smirked at each other. "Love potion," they said simultaneously.

Zonko's eyes widened. "Whatever for?"

It was my turn to smirk. "We're just playing a little prank on our friend, Filch."

Zonko chuckled jovially. "You three and your mischief." He supplied us with our potion and then scooted us out the door.

Fred, George, and I were in the common room an hour later, spiking a glass of water with transparent love potion. Our plan was to get Filch to fall in love with Percy—it would be hilarious to see the pompous prefect be chased around by the caretaker. I sniggered just thinking about it.

We finished spiking the water and left it where Filch could find it. When he finally happened upon it, we barely concealed our snickers as he downed it eagerly. Suddenly he went slack-jawed, and his eyes fogged over. Filch pelted down the corridor, searching out his one true love.

Minutes later: "Filch! What are you blubbering about?" Percy's bossy voice drifted toward us. The twins and I silently guffawed as he trotted towards us where we hid behind a tapestry, Filch on his heels.

"I think I love you," Filch mumbled. Percy stopped short, paling. His eyes bulged and his mouth hung open. He whirled around to face Filch. "What!" he cried, sounding horrified.

Filch smiled sheepishly at him and reached a hand out to touch his face. Percy spluttered and took off, dashing into the Great Hall, where everyone was eating lunch. Filch chased after him, his jowls wobbling, yelling, "Wait! I love you!"

Dead silence from within the Great Hall, and then the sound of explosive laughter reached our ears. The twins and I came from behind the tapestry, laughing so hard I had to clutch a stitch in my side as tears streamed down my face. A quick glance over at the twins showed them holding each other, doubled over with laughter. This was truly an amazing prank.

I grabbed Fred and George and dragged them into the Great Hall, where we were met with thunderous applause. Apparently, the entire school already knew we were the ones who'd bewitched Filch. I saw Ron and Harry and even Hermione laughing. I sat with them and we all grinned at each other. "Brilliant!" Ron choked out.

"Inspired!" chortled Neville. My friends high fived me and the twins and we began eating. As I saw the ordinary food set out in front of me, I realized with a happy squirm in my stomach that I'd be eating a nice helping of pumpkin pie later at the Halloween feast—which, I suddenly realized, my best friends wouldn't be attending. I frowned, but it cleared up when Harry gave me a concerned look.

Before I knew it, the feast was upon us. I met with Harry in the common room. "Have fun at the deathday party," I said sympathetically.

He groaned. "I still wish you were coming."

"I know, I know, I'm the only form of excitement in your boring life," I teased.

"Yes, you, and the fact that Voldemort, the most evil dark wizard of all time, is out for my blood," he retorted jokingly.

I punched him in the arm, and we both departed, separating at the entrance of the Great Hall.

That night, after everything was over, I found Harry sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room, frowning deeply. I plopped down next to him and touched his arm, worried. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Something happened tonight. Come to think of it, it's been happening a lot."

"What happened?"

"I heard… voices. Hissing voices. They… they wanted to kill something."

My heart stopped. Hissing? "What… like a snake?"

His eyes widened momentarily. "Yes. Just like a snake. And then, you weren't there, but there was this message on the walls, written in blood. 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.'" He proceeded to tell me everything that had happened.

I hugged him tightly. He was obviously shaken up by this. "It's okay, Harry," I whispered.

I held him for a while. When I finally pulled away, there was an unfathomable expression in his emerald eyes. I stared into them for the longest time, when we were suddenly interrupted by a loud voice saying, "Well! You two are awful cozy!"

Lavender Brown smirked knowingly at us. I glared at her, while Harry simply flushed red. We'd shared this moment, and I didn't know how I felt about it. His eyes were beautiful, and I'd felt like I could swim in them. "Lavender, what did I say the first day last year?" I asked, annoyed.

She gulped, apparently remembering. "Er, I don't remember," she murmured, scurrying from the room. I rolled my eyes and gave Harry a hug goodnight. He looked puzzled. "What was that all about?"

I rolled my eyes again. "She made some random jibe at me about us being a couple."

He blushed slightly. I kissed him on the cheek, said, "Good night," and hurried off to my dorm. Hermione was waiting up for me. "Hi," she whispered, her bright brown eyes wide with fright.

I knew what she was upset about. I sat on my bed and faced her. "You're worried about the whole Harry situation, aren't you?" I asked.

She nodded fervently. "Aisy, what if he really is the heir of Slytherin? We both know it's a real possibility."

I frowned. She was right. Harry really could be, but somewhere deep inside me, I knew he wasn't. I shook my head. "'Mione, I know it looks bad, but he's not the heir of Salazar Slytherin." She opened her mouth. "Don't ask me how I know," I said, cutting her off. "I just do."

She still looked unconvinced. I sighed. "'Mione, Salazar Slytherin was like, the epitome of evil. All that pureblood nonsense and whatnot. Harry isn't like that. Also, if he were the heir, he'd most certainly have been sorted into Slytherin, right?"

She finally looked relieved. "You're right, Aisy."

With that, we both decided to go to bed. I buried my head underneath my pillow. I thought of the moment I'd shared with Harry before we'd been so rudely interrupted. His eyes… Their shade of green was amazing. I remember that being the first thing I'd noticed about him. Why had I gotten so lost in them down in the common room? I sighed heavily. I eventually managed to fall asleep.

* * *

**Well well well. A little moment there. Wonder what that could lead up to? c;  
**

**Please please please leave me a review. It means the world to me, just to know what you guys are thinking. Seriously, it would only take a minute of your day, probably less. It's a simple process that totally makes my day and encourages me to write faster and better.  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello my dears. To make up for the update last time, I'm giving you a treat. Two updates in one day! :{D  
**

**Don't go getting used to it, now. Once a day or once every two days should be my updating schedule.  
**

**I love all of my reviewers so much. You guys mean the world to me. Here's a review I'd like to reply to:  
**

**Sue She: I most certainly don't plan on having them get together while they're this young. That's silly. And I love fluffiness as well haha. There might be a lot of that in this story, if all goes to plan. c:  
**

* * *

A flyer appeared in the Gryffindor common room one day for the Dueling Club. As I read it, everyone around me began to murmur excitedly. "I wonder who's going to be in charge?" someone near me asked curiously. Another voice replied, "Maybe Flitwick. I've heard that he used to be quite the duelist."

I thought of the tiny little Charms professor fighting off a bunch of dark wizards when he barely came up to their hips and laughed. A few people looked at me oddly, but that was nothing new. They all thought I was nutters anyway.

Ron nudged my side. "You're signing up, aren't you?"

I scoffed. "Of course! You really think I'd miss out on the action?"

He smiled. "Good. Practically everyone is joining this club. It better be good."

oOoOoOoOoOo

It wasn't. The four of us groaned loudly when we saw who was to head the club—Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, the most stuck up and phony teacher I'd ever had the misfortune to meet. "Welcome, children," he exclaimed, flashing his too-bright teeth. He introduced his sparring partner, Professor Snape. I exchanged glances with my best friends. This should be interesting. "Today," began Lockhart, "we will be using the disarming spell. _Expelliarmus._"

He and Snape went around pairing everyone up. I automatically stepped by Harry's side, but Snape immediately swooped upon us with a nasty sneer. "Oh, I don't think so. It's time to split up the dream team." For some reason, he didn't seem to know that Hermione and I were friends, so he paired me up with her. I gave her a well-concealed grin and then tried my best to look put out. He seemed pleased with my performance. He then paired Harry up with Malfoy. I almost chuckled at the appalled look on Harry's face.

"Why don't we have someone come up and demonstrate the disarming spell?" Lockhart bellowed. Snape cleared his throat. "Why don't we have Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy come up here?" he asked in his smooth voice. Lockhart beamed. "Brilliant idea! Up you get, gents."

I watched as Malfoy and Harry ascended the stage and faced each other. Hermione gulped beside me. Ron came over to stand with us. The three of us watched intently.

Immediately, things went out of control. Malfoy hissed an incantation, and a large snake shot out of his wand, advancing toward Harry. Hermione shrieked and Ron paled. I bit my lip nervously. I knew Harry would get out of this.

Suddenly, the green-eyed boy did the strangest thing. He opened his mouth, and out came a horrible hissing sound. He chased after the snake, heading towards a Hufflepuff named Justin Flinch-Fletchley. Justin looked horrified and frozen. Everyone looked on, absolutely appalled. I felt my eyes widen comically. What the bloody hell was Harry doing, getting the snake to attack a student?

Snape stepped forward and quickly got rid of the snake. He stared at Harry, along with the rest of the Hall. Fear wove a tight pattern in my chest. What was wrong with my best friend? I stole a glance at Ron and Hermione. They were both pale and looked thunderstruck. I'm sure I looked the same. Ron nudged me and Hermione and went forward to grab Harry's robes. We all scurried out of the Hall.

"You're a Parselmouth?" Ron exclaimed. I gulped. I'd read about those, and from the look on Hermione's face, she had too. Voldemort himself was one—not to mention Salazar Slytherin himself. It was the ability to talk to snakes, which was a talent associated mainly with evil wizards. But that couldn't be Harry, could it?

Ron explained what a Parselmouth was, and the significance of it to Harry. "There you were, egging the snake on!"

Harry looked shocked. "I was not egging it on! I was telling it to leave Justin alone."

I frowned. "It didn't look like that. It looked like you were encouraging it."

Harry glared at me. "What, don't believe me? That's fine. That's just great. Good to know I can rely on someone around here." He stormed off angrily, while I stood there gaping after him. He'd just implied that he couldn't rely on me! I looked at Ron and Hermione, who looked equally shell shocked. "I'm going after him," I mumbled. I dashed after Harry, calling out his name. Suddenly, I heard a strange hissing sound.

I stepped into a puddle and looked down into it. There, on the watery surface, were two strange, yellow orbs…

I saw nothing more.

* * *

**Third Person POV:**

He sat numbly in the hospital wing. There had been other muggleborn attacks, of course, but he couldn't quite believe that the monster had gotten to Aisy. She seemed so invincible, as if nothing could break her. Yet here she was, stiff and unfeeling, on a hospital bed, her beautiful blue eyes gazing into nothingness, no longer holding their usual sparkle.

Harry couldn't feel, couldn't think. When he and Hermione and Ron had heard from McGonagall about Aisy, he immediately ran to the hospital wing, deaf to the calls of his friends. It couldn't be real, it just couldn't. He wouldn't believe it until he had proof. Until he saw her, lying Petrified, on the bed, he wouldn't believe a word. It was all some elaborate, sick joke. It had to be. There was no way that his best friend had actually been attacked.

But she had. He wished he could close her eyes. It was causing him too much pain to look at them and not see them alight with mischief.

He also felt immensely guilty. He'd gone off on her, and then ran away. He never got the chance to apologize. He angrily wiped a stray tear away. No, he wouldn't cry. She always hated to see him sad. Besides, she wasn't dead.

_She's bloody close to it,_ a horrid voice sounded from within his head. He gasped and shook his head fiercely. He would not think such things. She'd get better, she had to. Madam Pomfrey would cure her eventually.

He wasn't aware that he was grasping her stone-cold hand until he looked at it. So frozen. He rubbed her fingers subconsciously. "Aisy…" he said. He furrowed his brow. "Look, I know you can't hear me, but I'm so sorry. I mean, I'm extremely sorry. I'm sorry for snapping at you, when all you were doing was stating an obvious fact. I shouldn't have implied that I couldn't trust you, because I do. With my life." He sighed deeply. "You're my best friend, Aisy. Ever since we met that day under the tree, you've been with me through everything. I can never thank you enough for being my friend when no one else would." He wiped another tear away quickly, as if she would see. "Please don't leave me," he mumbled.

"Harry?" He whirled around. Ron and Hermione stood there, looking as if they didn't know what to do with themselves. He smiled warmly at them. They smiled back and sat in the two other chairs next to Aisy's bed. Hermione took her friend's other hand and sighed sadly. Ron looked at the ground morosely.

"Aisy, it's completely impossible and illogical for you to hear us right now," Hermione said in a small voice. "But we love you, and we miss you. Please hang in there. Madam Pomfrey will wake you up in no time."

"And when you awaken, we'll be here for you," Ron supplied.

The three gazed sadly upon their Petrified friend before heading to their common room.

Not long after, Hermione was found Petrified, along with some Ravenclaw prefect. The grief that Harry and Ron felt was doubled. Now, they spent every day they could in the Hospital Wing with their frozen friends. One such day, Harry noticed a wad of paper in Hermione's clenched fist. He frowned.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the paper and straightening it out. It was a paper on basilisks. Near the bottom, Hermione had written the word, _Pipes_.

Harry gasped as realization dawned on him. Ron took the paper and came to the same conclusion.

The monster of the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk. And now they had to save Ginny from it.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ron, Harry, and Ginny sat at the end of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, like always. Harry had saved Ginny from the basilisk, but unfortunately, in the process, Professor Lockhart had lost all his memory. He was sent to St. Mungo's. Harry felt mildly guilty about erasing the man's memory, even if it was by accident, but he couldn't dwell on it much. All he could think about was Aisy.

Madam Pomfrey had finished the potions and would be reviving the students, she said. Harry's excitement was palpable. Of course, Ron was thrilled too, but he was mostly thinking about Hermione.

Harry poked his steak with his fork. He was too excited to eat. Suddenly, he heard gasps from the front of the Hall. His head snapped around to see several students, all muggleborns, filing into the Hall. Many of them were being intercepted by their beaming friends. Madam Pomfrey's potion had revived the Petrified students.

Harry and Ron stood eagerly, craning their necks and standing on the tips of their toes to catch a glimpse of bushy hair or mischievous blue eyes.

Harry saw her first. Joy burst in his stomach when he saw the flowing brown hair and bright eyes. Aisy beamed. Harry's relief hit him in the gut, and he rushed at his best friend.

* * *

**Aisy's POV:**

I opened my eyes blearily. Blinking several times, I slowly sat up as I registered where I was. I was in the Hospital Wing. My head pounded as the memories flooded me…

"_Harry!" I yelled, running through the corridors. I had to find him, had to explain. Of course he could trust me. I'd never turn my back on him. "Harry!"_

_The water splashed around my ankle. I looked down. My shoe was completely soaked. But what struck me odd was the puddle of water. It was coming from a nearby door… Which happened to be Moaning Myrtle's loo. How peculiar. Suddenly I saw something reflected on the surface of the water._

_Two yellow eyes. That's what they were. They stared at me from the puddle, and I blacked out._

I gasped. I'd been Petrified. The monster who'd been attacking muggleborns was a basilisk! "Oh gods," I muttered frantically. "I've got to warn them, got to tell Harry…"

A chuckle came from my right, and I turned to see Hermione sitting up on the bed next to mine. She smiled warmly at me. "Aisy, they know. They've figured it out. The basilisk is gone. Ginny is safe."

My heart leaped. I grinned widely as I took in my surroundings. All over the Hospital Wing, students were waking from their comas. They rubbed their heads and looked around, smiling and calling out as they saw their friends. Madam Pomfrey checked us all over once more, and then, with a smile on her face, let us go. As a mob, we all rushed to the Great Hall to reunite with our friends.

Hermione and I entered last. My eyes searched the Gryffindor table, and I felt my heart leap into my throat when I saw a pair of excited emerald eyes staring back at me. Harry's hair was even more unruly than usual, and there were deep bags under his eyes. A wave of guilt washed over me. Harry had obviously been extremely worried, even after I'd insulted him. I hadn't meant to, of course, but I still had, and here he was, fretting over me.

He started running towards me, and I towards him. We collided heavily, almost falling but managing to catch ourselves at the last minute. I squeezed his middle as tightly as I could, and he held me just as tightly. He pulled away suddenly, remorse in his eyes. "Gods, Aisy, I am so sorry," he blurted before I could say anything. "I was a complete and total prat, and I overreacted. Of course I can trust you, you're my best friend and you've always—Oomph!" I squeezed him again, harder this time. Involuntary tears filled my eyes. Harry was sorry, and he really did trust me! Happiness filled my entire being.

We finally let go, laughing breathlessly, and walked to the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione. We finished our dinner and went to bed.

The last day of school came quickly after that. We sat in our compartment somewhat sadly. I looked out the window, contemplating the many shades of yellow. Suddenly I remembered something and gasped.

"What?" my three best friends spluttered, looking at me in surprise. I eagerly opened my suitcase and brought out a worn letter. It was from my father. I waved it at them before unfolding it and reading it aloud.

_Dearest Aislynn (Don't you frown at me, that's your birth name),_

_You've been talking rather a lot about these friends of yours, Ron, Hermione, and of course Harry. I've decided that, if you want, you may invite them over to spend the summer at our home. Do take it up with their parents, however. Also, speaking of their parents, I would very much like to meet them. Perhaps at Kings' Cross Station at the end of the year, when I pick you up?_

_I'll see you then, love._

_Father_

I beamed up at my friends, who all grinned back at me. Hermione said, "My parents will most definitely let me come. They adore you." (I'd met them at the end of last Christmas.)

Ron nodded. "Mine too. You know how much my mother adores you."

Harry frowned a tiny bit, but it cleared up quickly. "I'll be able to come. My dear uncle and aunty would love to get rid of me for an entire summer. Especially after what happened with Mrs. Mason last summer." We all laughed as we recalled the story Harry had told us.

I beamed excitedly at my friends. As soon as the train pulled to a stop, we all searched for our parents (save Harry, of course) and brought them together. As they introduced themselves, I noticed Father looking rather uncomfortable. I reassured him with a smile and he nodded at me. Plans were made.

This was going to be the most amazing summer ever.

* * *

**Oh, I can't wait! A summer full of nothing but the Golden Quartet! I wonder how this vacation is gonna go?  
**

**What did y'all think about the little POV change there? Obviously, I couldn't keep it from Aisy's POV, as she was Petrified. So I showed you guys some Harry! Was it good? Bad? Amazing? Terrible? Please let me know!  
**

**I used to hate it when authors begged for reviews, but now that I'm a writer, I realize that reviews are like oxygen. They're desperately needed and wanted. It'll take maybe a minute out of your life to leave me a simple comment. I love you guys so much c:  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello, loves. I have a guilty confession to make.  
**

**I didn't start reading the HP series until the beginning of my eighth grade year, which was the beginning of this past year. Even then, I started on the third book.  
**

**I know, I know, come at me with pitchforks and torches.  
**

**I still love the story just as much as the rest of you!  
**

**Ah well. Enjoy this chapter c:  
**

* * *

"I have an idea!" Hermione exclaimed.

The four of us—Ron, Harry, Hermione, and I—were all sitting on my carpeted floor in a circle, me at the foot of my bed, Harry to my left, Ron across from me, and Hermione to my right. It was the first day of our vacation together. Let me take a quick minute to describe my room. The walls were painted a very light lavender color. My bed was white, with light purple pillows and covers. I had a white dresser and a white carpeted floor. My entire room was splashed with shades of light purple and white. It was cozy, and I loved it.

I blinked at Hermione. "What idea what would that be?"

She smiled excitedly. "Let's go swimming! There's a pool in your backyard, I saw it."

I blanched. Ron and Hermione frowned but Harry knew why I hated the idea. He sought to change the subject. "How about we go into the woods and hike instead?"

There was a little patch of woodland near my house. In the middle sat a small clearing that I spent a lot of my days in before I made friends with Harry. Hermione and Ron seemed pleased with the idea, so I went down to the kitchen to talk to Ryan.

"Hi, bro," I chirped. He was standing at the counter, making sandwiches. "Any chance those are for us?" I asked hopefully, batting my eyelashes at him. He laughed and smacked me with a dishtowel.

I playfully growled. "We're about to go into the woods, and we'll get hungry," I said, trying again to be cute so that Ryan would give in. He rolled his eyes, threw the sandwiches into a basket, thrust it at me, and shoved me and my friends out the door. "And don't come back!" he yelled jokingly.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" I hollered back. He winked at me and strode back into the house.

We set off into the woods.

I inhaled deeply. "I love it here," I breathed.

Hermione stared around in awe. Her wild curls reached her elbows, and her chocolate-colored eyes were open wide with wonder. She and Ron were walking side by side behind me and Harry. When they weren't paying attention to us, I nudged the black-haired boy and pointed my thumb over my shoulder at them. "I'm wondering when they'll get together."

He snickered. "Same here. It's so painfully obvious that he's head over heels for her."

Ron heard him. He turned bright red and spluttered, "You're one to talk!"

Hermione and I exchanged confused glances. Harry blushed almost as red as Ron and said as calmly as he could, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ron smirked teasingly. "I'm talking about you being in love with A—" Harry tackled Ron to the ground. They wrestled around, getting dirt and leaves all over them. Hermione and I rolled our eyes in amusement. They eventually got up, twigs in their hair. Hermione tried to clean off Ron. I sighed and reached my hand up for Harry's hair. I combed my fingers through it, ridding him of the forest debris. Besides being out-of-control, his hair was incredibly soft. Somehow my eyes wandered back to his face. I looked into his green depths. He stared back at me, that strange look in his eyes again. We were inches away.

"Ahem," Hermione coughed. She giggled at the flustered expressions on our faces. I cleared my throat and said a little too loudly, "All right, how about that clearing?" and trekked ahead of everybody else. I heard snorts of laughter from Ron and Hermione but chose to ignore them.

It took about an hour of endless walking—throughout which Ron complained about his growling stomach, which sounded like a dying dragon. When we finally reached the clearing, his eyes widened comically. He clutched his stomach. "Oh, woe is me!" he yelled dramatically. He toppled over onto the ground, reaching an arm into the air. "I can see the light!" he bellowed mournfully. "If only I had gotten some nourishment…"

I rolled my eyes and stepped on his hand. He shot up, yelling, "Ouch!" Harry and Hermione dissolved into laughter as I smirked at the indignant redhead. He tried to glare at me, but ended up laughing along with the rest of us.

I looked over yonder and caught sight of my log. It was a tree that had fallen years ago, but instead of rotting, stayed reasonably firm. I beckoned for my friends to follow me and we all sat on the log. I unpacked the sandwiches (ignoring an excited squeak from Ron) and handed them to everyone. We ate happily, admiring the beauty of my special place.

The clearing was only about fifty meters in any direction. It was almost perfectly round. The grass was thick and green, with wildflowers here and there. I sighed contentedly, looking around at the trees. They were quite tall; I'd say about thirty feet.

Finally, we finished our meal. I looked over at my friends. Hermione was lying on her back in a patch of yellow wildflowers, her hair spread out everywhere. She was gazing up at the clouds. Ron was watching her from the log, but she was completely oblivious to his gaze. His freckles stood out more than ever, and his dark blue eyes had a mysterious glint. Harry was looking at the trees. He seemed intent on one spot in particular, and I recognized it as, what I called, the Gloom.

The Gloom was a particularly spooky part of the woods. It was eerily dark, devoid of sunlight and warmth. I'd seen a black ghost-like thing glide through there once, and had hightailed myself out of there. I'd only been six years old at the time, but that memory has stayed with me. I still never go out into the Gloom, and now I was a witch.

"Harry," I said, breaking his concentration. He looked at me questioningly and saw the edgy way I was eyeing the Gloom. He frowned. "What's up?"

I moved my eyes to his face, feeling strangely chilly. "That's the Gloom," I explained. "No sunlight reaches those trees, no warmth. No furry little animals bounce around in there, stocking up for the winter. It's a dark place. I think it might be full of Dark Magic. When I was six, I saw a horrible black thing floating around in there. It was like… some sort of evil ghost."

"Was it as scary as the Bloody Baron?" Ron whimpered. I spun around and noticed he and Hermione had been listening carefully. I bit my lip. "It was worse," I said.

He and Hermione exchanged frightened glances before peering over at Harry. The green-eyed boy watched me, concern in his emerald eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, stole one more glance at the Gloom, and then came over to me. We sat on the grass together. Hermione and Ron scooted over to join us, and we formed our little circle.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Halfway through our little vacation, at breakfast time, Mrs. Weasley owled us. The erratic Errol burst into my kitchen, knocking over the cream and planting facedown into my pancakes. Ron wrinkled his nose, pulling the limp owl onto the table and taking the letter. He read it aloud to our waiting ears.

_Dear Ronald,_

_How are you sweetie? I do hope they're feeding you well. I need to tell you something important._

_A mass murderer escaped from Azkaban recently, Sirius Black. As much as I hate to say it, you're really not safe out there. Honey, I'm coming to pick you up tomorrow. If you want, you can bring Harry, Hermione, and Aislynn. _(I bristled at the use of my whole name.)

_Please pack your things, dear. I'm sorry that I had to end your visit, but at least you four can still be together. You'll just be at the Burrow. I do hope this doesn't inconvenience you terribly._

_Love you and miss you,_

_Mum_

He set the letter down. The four of us were in shocked silence. A murderer had escaped from the wizard prison. We were all in danger as long as we were in my muggle home.

Father came down the stairs just then. He spotted our scared faces and paled. "What happened?"

I threw my arms around his middle. Ron handed him the letter silently. Father held me with one arm as he read. When he set it down his face was grim. I let go of him and he looked down at me. "You're not going anywhere."

I gaped at him. "What! I'm in danger as long as I stay here. There are no magi enchantments on this house. Sirius Black can reach me here."

"NO ARGUMENTS. YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. Your friends will be gone by tomorrow. You're not going to that school anymore. You're not leaving this house anymore."

I whirled around. My friends looked appalled. Harry spoke up, "Mr. Domecq, she's in danger as long as she's here. It would be better-"

"Shut up!" Father yelled. "Aisy, go to your room, _now_!" He left the house, slamming the door as he went.

They all looked dumbstruck. Tears filled Hermione's eyes. "But how can he let you live in danger like that?"

"He can't possibly think you're safe here," Ron spat.

I felt my heart sinking into my stomach. I would never see the castle again. I'd never sit under the tree by the lake. I'd never say hello to the ghosts as I pass them in the hall, or glare at passing Slytherins, or prank Filch with my favorite twins.

I sat at the table. I stared down, refusing to meet my friends' eyes. "Aisy…" Hermione said, sounding helpless.

Harry grasped my right hand from under the table, and Ron grabbed my left. Hermione took their free hands. We sat silently in our little circle. I looked up and looked at their faces, managing a small smile. It was good to know that, while my world came crashing down, I would have them by my side through it all.

oOoOoOoOo

They were gone the next day. I begged Father constantly to reconsider. I told him how magic was the only thing that could keep me safe. He wouldn't hear of it, and always made some excuse to leave the room.

August 20th was when it happened. I was laying on top of my bed, staring at my ceiling. When I was younger, I'd stuck some shiny star stickers up there. I looked over to my right to see Velox staring out the window mournfully. "I'm sorry, Ve," I said. "I can't let you out. Father would have a cow. He might make me get rid of you."

Velox turned her large golden orbs upon me. Her eyes pleaded with me. _Please let me fly, _they said.

"No, Ve," I groaned. "I can't risk losing you."

Velox looked even more put out, and turned her gaze back to the world outside. Suddenly, she gave a loud, startled hoot and ruffled her feathers. I shot up in bed. I couldn't believe what I was looking at.

An extremely bright light shined through my window, nearly blinding me. The light moved away from my eyes so I was able to see a pair of blue eyes. I felt my grin stretch across my face.

Ron Weasley was outside my window, in a flying car.

oOoOoOoOo

"Déjà vu, eh, Harry?" I smirked. He shook his hair out of his face and laughed.

"This is exactly how it happened before second year," he replied.

We were in the back of the flying car, along with Hermione (I was shocked that she'd approved this plan). Ron and the twins were in the front. I couldn't stop smiling. I knew my friends loved me, but I'd never known that they cared enough about me to rescue me. The knowledge kept an everlasting smile on my face.

I laughed too. I looked at Fred and George. "You people have got to come up with new plans. The whole 'rescuing the damsel in distress in a flying car' bit is getting old."

They chortled as Harry spluttered indignantly. "Did you just imply that I'm a girl?"

I smirked again. "I might have."

Everyone laughed as we headed to the Burrow.

When we got there, Mrs. Weasley yelled at her sons (again) and fussed over me and Harry and Hermione (as expected). We all ate quickly before we were sent up to our rooms. I was due to share a room with Ginny and Hermione, much to my delight.

We all sat on Ginny's bed. I was brushing Ginny's hair while she broke her brush in Hermione's. It was rather funny, thought they didn't think so.

"So, when are we going to Diagon Alley?" I asked, braiding a piece of Ginny's fiery red hair.

Hermione grunted in pain as Ginny yanked on one of her curls. "Tomorrow," she responded. I beamed excitedly. I had to pick up my new books. I'd gotten the letter the week before, but I hadn't shown Father.

There came a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Ron and Harry. "Hey! Wha—Ahh!" Ginny threw her brush at them, and they vanished, slamming the door.

I rolled off the bed laughing, stopping abruptly when I hit the floor. "Ouch," I muttered, rubbing my head. Hermione and Ginny laughed even harder. I scowled, throwing a pillow at them. They quit laughing and glared playfully at me, sneakily picking up their own pillows. My eyes widened when I realized their intentions, but too late—They launched at me.

After a vicious battle in which every single pillow was destroyed, we collapsed onto our beds, laughing breathlessly. "Truce?" I panted. "Truce," they agreed. We eventually fell asleep.

At some ungodly hour of the morning, Mrs. Weasley threw open our door. "Rise and shine, dears!" she chirped. I groaned and rolled onto my belly, hiding my face beneath my pillow. Having none of that, she pulled my blanket and pillow off of me. Grumbling incoherently, I reluctantly pulled myself out of bed and trudged downstairs, not realizing that I was still in my sleeping clothes—which, by the way, only consists of a tank top and shorts so tiny they were almost illegal—and not hearing the girls' alarmed yells.

The twins, Ron, and Harry were already down there. When I trudged into the kitchen, I was confused as to why Ron and Harry turned scarlet. Seeing Fred and George's evil grins, I suddenly became very scared. "What?"

Ron looked at his feet, while Harry just gaped at me. Fred chortled. "Very appropriate wear, Aisy."

"Yes, totally not revealing at all," George supplied. He nudged Harry. "Oi, pick your jaw up off the floor."

Harry blushed even harder, if it was possible.

For the first time I looked down at myself. My cheeks became hot. "Bloody hell," I choked out before running back upstairs, blushing even worse when I heard the twins' laughter behind me.

We left for Diagon Alley an hour later. I refused to look at the boys, much to the twins' amusement. Ron and Harry wouldn't look at me either. Ginny giggled about it, but Hermione looked sympathetic. Maybe I'd spare her when I killed everybody else.

Eventually getting over our embarrassment, Harry pulled me to the side as we were about to leave for the train station. "Guess what Mr. Weasley just told me."

"Sirius Black is after you?"

He looked startled. "How'd you know?"

My eyes widened. "I was right? I was only guessing."

He stared at me, then shook his head. "You're weird."

I grinned cheekily. "It's why you love me."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever you say."

I faked a pout. "What, don't you love me?"

"Sure."

I poked him in the side, and he scowled at me. "Say it."

"No."

"_Say it_."

"_No_."

I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "Say it, or else."

"Or else what?" he asked tauntingly.

"Or else I'll never speak with you again."

He rolled his eyes again. "That would be a relief, Aisy, not a punishment."

I huffed indignantly. "Fine, have it your way. Goodbye forever, Harry Potter." As I started to march off, he grabbed my arm. He mumbled something.

"What?"

"I love you," he muttered.

"_What_?" I asked again, grinning slyly.

"I LOVE YOU!" he bellowed. The sound carried over to the Weasley's. The twins grinned triumphantly, while Ron and Hermione looked shocked. Ginny beamed. Harry turned red, while I burst into laughter. George came over and thumped Harry on the back. "It's about time you spoke up," he said jovially. "Ever since you saw her this morning…"

Fred slung an arm around my shoulder. "Take care of our girl, eh?"

I laughed even harder. Harry sputtered, redder than ever, "Wha—No, we—I don't—"

"Time to go!" Mrs. Weasley called, interrupting Harry's embarrassed explanation. We sat in the back with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins, who kept leering at us. Harry glared at me. "Sometimes I hate you so much."

"But then you love me again, because you realize how absolutely amazing I am, and how empty your life would be without me." He rolled his eyes for the third time as we set off for Kings Cross Station.

* * *

**Oh Harry, you have such a way with words.  
**

**Please leave a review c: It makes me quite happy.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys.  
**

**I got a bad anonymous review the other day. I mean, really bad. It totally flamed me, naming off every terrible thing about my FIRST fanfiction. It didn't even give me any tiny tips to get better, it just basically told me what an awful writer I was. If you guys are gonna criticize me, can you at least be nice about it? Seriously man, that was uncool.  
**

**I just wanted to say I absolutely love and adore all my good reviewers, including: lostfeather1, Sue She, and Pretty Monster Princess. Y'all are so amazing and I love you! This chapter's for you guys. c:  
**

* * *

The train ride was terrifying.

Halfway through the ride, Hermione, Harry, and I were laughing at a joke Ron had told about Percy. Neville was smiling lightly, seeming distracted. Dean and Seamus were involved in their own conversation. I didn't notice how Seamus kept stealing glances at me. I looked over at the dozing professor next to us, who was clothed in shabby robes. Professor R. J. Lupin, according to his old bag. I don't know what it was, but I got this feeling as I watched him. A strange memory that didn't belong to me suddenly appeared in my head:

_The creature darted through the forest, howling. A stag, a large black dog, and a tiny rat followed it, running with it, seeming to herd it away from the edge of the forest._

"Moony," I whispered, frowning. Where had that name come from? I'd never heard it before. And why had I had that strange… vision when I looked at Lupin? Harry glanced at me. "What was that?"

I shook my head quickly. "Just thinking," I lied.

Suddenly, the train stopped. Hermione stood, frowning. "I'm going to see the conductor," she said, leaving. That's when everything went dark. We heard a thump outside the compartment, followed by two girlish grunts of pain.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"Come in and sit down!"

"Ow, not on top of me, you ninnies!" I protested, for someone had fallen onto my lap. That's when the cold came.

I felt as if someone had ripped every happy memory I'd ever had from me, and left this horrible fright and sadness in its place. I had another vision.

_The tiny girl with the long brown hair and blue eyes stood in the doorway of the dark room, staring at her mother's back. The woman turned around suddenly, looking quite frightening, at least to the toddler's mind. "You don't understand!" she shrieked. "None of you!"_

"_I understand, Mommy!" the girl sobbed, reaching forward to clutch her mother's hand._

_The woman ripped her hand out of the toddler's clutches. "No, no, no!" she cried. "None of you know!"_

_She stood and reached for her drawer, opening it and pulling out a stick. "I have to leave! I can't take it anymore!"_

"_Mommy, don't go!" the toddler wept, terrified now. Why was her mother leaving her?_

_The woman stared wide-eyed at the little girl, her eyes mad. "He's coming for you!" she screamed. "He'll kill you! He'll kill all of you!"_

_The girl sobbed even harder. "Mommy, no! No, Mommy…"_

"_You're all going to die!" With that, the mad woman pointed her wand at her own throat. With a flash of red light, she lay in a crumpled heap on the floor at the girl's feet, her eyes wide open and still insane. The toddler sobbed, clutching her mother's body. "Mommy, please wake up… I'm sorry, I'll be a good girl, I'm sorry Mommy… Wake up, please, don't leave me…"_

"Aisy!"

"Mommy, I'm sorry, so sorry, I'll listen to you and be good, I promise! Please Mommy," I sobbed again and again, "Please wake up, don't leave, I love you Mommy, I love you and I'm sorry…" My eyes were clenched shut, and I registered somewhere in the back of my mind that I was curled up on the floor. Someone was touching me, pulling me up. Someone was talking to me. But I was oblivious as I continued to beg for my mother. "I'll be good… I'll do what you say… Please don't leave me, I love you…"

"Aisy!" the voice said again. I finally came back to the world. My eyes shot open, and I realized I was sobbing openly. "Mommy," I whispered. Bright green eyes stared at me, looking terrified. "Aisy," Harry whispered. "Aisy, it's okay, you're safe, love."

I realized what had happened, and threw myself at Harry, crying into his chest. He held me close, rubbing soothing circles into my back. "Shh, love, you're fine, it was a dementor, you're fine."

I finally calmed down, hiccupping myself into silence. Realizing I'd just cried in front of a bunch of people, I buried my face even deeper into Harry's chest, embarrassed. He stroked my hair.

I heard Hermione's voice behind me. "Aisy, what happened? What did you see?"

I pulled away from Harry's embrace and looked around. Hermione and Ron and Neville and Dean and Seamus all looked horrified. Lupin frowned at me, concerned. I stared down at my lap, grateful for Harry's arm around me. Biting my lip, I shook my head. Hermione didn't press me.

"Here," the shabby professor spoke up. He handed me a bar of chocolate. Despite my trauma just a couple of minutes earlier, I squeaked in excitement and grabbed the candy. Harry forced a weak chuckle. Hermione and the rest of them still looked alarmed, but they hid it the best they could.

Eventually we arrived at the school. I stood by the pretty skeletal horse. I found it quite gorgeous as I petted its leathery head. It turned one dead eye on me. "That's right, I see you," I whispered to it. "I saw my mum, and I see you." It looked forward again. I gave it one last pat and started to climb into the carriage—when I was picked up by two pairs of hands. "Put me down!" I squeaked indignantly.

I twisted my head around and saw two pairs of blue eyes above matching grins. "Fred! George!" I hissed. "Place me on my feet right now, or I swear, I'll—"

"You'll what?" George asked, grinning cheekily.

"What will you do, Domecq?" Fred chuckled.

I glared ferociously at them. "I'll tell your mum that you kidnapped me."

They were rattled, I could tell, but they tried to play it off. George dropped the smile and glared right back at me.

After tossing me unceremoniously into their carriage, they climbed in after me and shut the door behind them. I sat up, fixing my hair and fixing them with evil eyes. "How dare you," I growled. I glared around me. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Lee Jordan, the latter laughing at my disheveled state, all sat in the carriage. Fred and George sat on either side of me. I rolled my eyes and huffed impatiently. "All right, what do you nutters want?"

They wore those mischievous grins again. "We need your help," Fred began.

"We wanted to pull a little prank on our Slytherin pals, but—"

"As we discussed it, we realized that—"

"This would be impossible to do without our dear Aislynn." George laughed as I growled at his use of my much-despised name.

"So we are kidnapping you from your friends," Fred said. "You'll help us with this prank, won't you?" He winked at me, already knowing my answer.

I tried my best to maintain my glower, but the thought of tormenting a bunch of snot-nose Slytherins—especially Pug Face and the Pale Prat—brought a smile to my lips. I sighed and nodded. "I'm in, as you already know."

The twins beamed and slapped me on the back. The other female occupants of the carriage rolled their eyes, while Lee beamed. He was to be in on this mischief as well.

We began discussing our battle strategy.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I bounced up and down with ill-concealed excitement once Dumbledore's speech was over. George nudged me. "Quit it, you rabbit," he whispered.

I chortled and faced the staff table expectantly. Snape looked over my way, and I winked at him cheerily. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously before returning to the feast.

I'd always been mental. I made that known the day I walked into this school. But at the beginning of last year, I proved just how mental I was. I decided to be Snape's best friend. Everyone knew it was because I enjoyed annoying the bugger. He was so fun to mess with. And he knew he liked me.

Dumbledore stood to dismiss us all, when suddenly—McGonagall gave a rather loud squawk. Everyone stared at her, startled. She continued as if nothing had happened, confused when she found the gazes of the entire school upon her. She squawked again.

Suddenly Sprout started clucking. Hagrid followed up with a rooster's call. Soon enough, everyone at the staff table began strutting around, flapping their arms, bobbing their heads, and making various chicken noises. The Hall roared with laughter. Tears streamed down my face when Snape hopped upon the table, crowing. Harry and Ron and Hermione looked at me, still laughing. I nodded, and even though Hermione tried to look disapproving, she couldn't.

Eventually, the staff was cured of their episode. As Dumbledore finally rose to give his dismissal, I could've sworn he had a twinkle in his eye as he looked straight at me and the twins.

"You're so brilliant," Seamus Finnigan said, coming up behind me and walking with me to the common room. My three best friends had gone ahead. Finnigan shook his head with a laugh. "How have you not been expelled yet?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, batting my eyelashes innocently. "I've done nothing wrong."

He rolled his eyes, obviously not fooled. "That was fantastic, though."

"I know," I teased. "When is something I do not fantastic?"

"Someone's pretty full of herself."

"I have a reason to be."

"Hear, hear," Fred and George called out, passing us with cheeky grins.

I laughed along with Seamus. Eventually we reached the portrait, which was being held open by Hermione. She beamed at me. "Come on, Aisy, let's go sit with Harry and Ron."

I noticed Seamus's face darken a bit at Harry's name. I frowned, but then turned to smile at Hermione. "All right, 'Mione, let's go."

I bid goodbye to Seamus and clambered into the portrait hole after my bushy-haired friend. She was cradling a large, orange ball of fluff in her arms. We sat with the boys on the couch in front of the fireplace. Hermione set her strange pet down, and it immediately clambered toward me, its beady eyes alight with interest. I hesitantly reached my hand out and scratched the odd beast behind the ears. I suddenly realized something. "'Mione?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Is this cat wholly feline?"

She stared at me. "It's half kneazle. How did you know?"

I shrugged. "It didn't seem much like a cat. It seemed much more intuitive."

She raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Good observation."

I yawned then. Harry smirked at me. "Is it bedtime for wittle Aisy?" he asked in an annoying baby voice.

I scowled at him darkly.

Ron grinned mischievously and joined in. "I think wittle Aisy needs to go sleepy-by," he cooed.

I smacked them both, and they simultaneously yelled, "Ow!"

Smirking with satisfaction, I patted them both on the head condescendingly. "Good night, Ickle Ronniekins. Good night, Scarface." They glared at me. I flounced up the stairs to my dorm, grinning when I heard laughter from Hermione and some other Gryffindors.

It felt like it was going to be a fun year.

* * *

**So, I was just thinking about how much I love chocolate. It's delicious. Aisy shares my adoration for the sweet, apparently. c:  
**

**Anyways, review, please! It makes me happy :{D  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello, loves!  
**

**This morning I checked my email for the first time in forever, and I saw that a LOT of people have added this story to their Favorites and Story Alerts list! Some have even added me to their Author Alerts list. I was thrilled and shocked. I had NO IDEA that people liked this story so much, so it was a really great surprise.  
**

**Anyways, I'm sorry this is so short. I feel terrible, but it just felt right to end it here, you know? Enjoy c:  
**

* * *

"Aisy! Oh, _Aisy_!" An incredibly unwelcome buzzing awoke me from my blissful slumber. I buried my face more deeply into my pillow. I heard someone tutting. "Nope, that's not gonna work, love," the voice said. "WAKE UP, AISY!"

I was suddenly pulled out of my bed and dumped onto the floor with a painful _thump_. I shot up, glaring ferociously, to see three different colors: black, fiery red, and light brown. Laughter surrounded me.

"Good morning, sunshine," Ron chirped, laughing even harder when I gave him the finger.

"I bloody hate all of you," I muttered savagely, pulling myself off of the floor and planting my hands firmly on my hips. My three tormentors merely smiled at me.

I sighed, finally succumbing to wakefulness. "So, what do you loons want?"

Harry grinned. "We were just bored, so Ron and I decided to come visit you. However, we were unable to come up here, due to the staircase changing into a slide."

"So," Ron put in, "we got Hermione to help us, for she'd come down at that instant. Pure stroke of luck, that was."

"Who are you, Yoda?" I snapped. He looked bewildered, but my friends who'd been raised by muggles chortled.

Ron frowned at us, but continued, "_Anyway_, she cast some sort of charm on the stairs so they'd hold."

"So here we are!" Harry finished, smiling.

I continued giving them evil eyes. "And so you decided to awaken a sleeping bear at this _ungodly hour of the morning_?"

The boys gulped, while Hermione smirked. I turned my glare onto her, causing her to wince. "You're not off the hook either, missy," I hissed. "You'll pay. You'll all pay!" And with that, I flounced dramatically from the room, intending to find Fred and George and exact my revenge on my friends.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The twins and I hid behind a tapestry of a werewolf on the first floor. It wasn't too crowded, but having them pressed up against me made me blush slightly. Then we heard it:

"WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU, AISLYNN DOMECQ?"

I stifled my laughter. The twins trembled with barely concealed laughter as well. We peeked out to see the funniest sight I'd ever laid my eyes upon.

Three third year Gryffindors stood, trembling with rage, just outside the doors of the Great Hall. One was a boy with shaggy brown hair and big chocolate eyes. He had a book in his left hand and a wand in his right. He looked ready to hex the next person he saw.

Two girls were with him. One had bright red hair and dark blue eyes. The twins snickered. "Looks like Ginny," Fred whispered. The other girl had short, messy black hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and emerald eyes. There was a tiny lightning bolt-shaped scar above her right eyebrow. The girls looked absolutely murderous.

Feeling brave, I stepped from behind the tapestry. "Hello, loves," I chirped. "You must be new. I'm Aisy." I dipped into an absurdly low bow, grinning when I heard the twins' chuckles as they came to stand by my side.

Girl-Harry glared viciously at me. "AISLYNN!" he/she yelled in a squeaky voice. "Change us back _now_! BLOODY HELL, STOP LAUGHING!" I'd dissolved into a fit of giggles at the sound of his/her high-pitched voice.

Boy-Hermione's wand hand twitched. I gulped, my eyes widening. The twins bolted, for they knew not to mess with an angry Hermione. "Awww, Herman, don't be such a—"

"HERMAN?" she/he yelled, outraged.

My grin returned as I nodded at the girls. "Rhonda. Harriet."

Hermione exchanged glances with them. She nodded her head toward me, and I grew apprehensive. Ron and Harry smirked evilly, advancing towards me. I backed up. "Come on, guys, it was a joke. Also, boys can't mess with girls!"

"Yes, but the problem with that," Harry said, "would be that we're not boys."

They darted after me, and with a shriek I dashed away.

oOoOoOoOoOo

An hour later, they decided to forgive me. Harry and Ron had changed back into their original genders, as had Hermione. We were in the common room laughing about it that evening.

"'Mione, you make a good looking guy," I said, giggling. She blushed while the boys chortled. I continued, "I would've dated you!"

We burst into laughter. Suddenly I felt something in my head. It was like some sort of pressure building. I needed to be alone, for I knew what it was. I was having a vision.

Ever since the train ride, I'd had visions every once in a while. Whenever I walked into Lupin's class, the name "Moony" would come to mind. Whenever I walked into Snape's class, I had a quick vision of a younger him hanging upside down, or talking to a pretty redheaded girl with Harry's brilliant eyes. It was odd.

Anyway, I blurted, "Excuse me," and dashed out of the common room. I slowed to a walk when I got outside, and headed for the tree by the lake. I sat down, buried my head in my hands, and let the visions come.

_I sat by the lake, near the gorgeous redheaded girl I'd seen talking to Snape, looking at four young men. One was short and pudgy, with blond hair and watery blue eyes. The one next to him reading a book had shaggy light brown hair and amber eyes. I stifled a gasp as I realized that this was Professor Lupin. Next to him, shooting glances every so often at the girl near me, was Harry. I gasped, not bothering to hide it this time. What was Harry doing here with these strange people?_

_Then I discovered, as the Harry look-alike lifted his eyes to the girl again, that he had dark brown eyes, not brilliant green. I realized with a start who this man must be: James Potter, Harry's father. I took a closer look at the redhead next to me. Her eyes exactly matched Harry's. Lily Potter…?_

_The boy next to James had long black hair that seemed to fall just right into his gray eyes. He was incredibly handsome. That was when another startling realization came to mind: Sirius Black._

_I then thought that the watery-eyed boy next to Lupin must be Peter Pettigrew. My eyes widened as I began to realize… _

"Aisy?"

My eyes snapped open. I found myself staring into concerned emerald eyes. "Harry…" I whispered hoarsely.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting next to me and putting an arm around me. I turned my head to look out at the lake, debating whether or not I should tell him about my visions. What if he thought I was insane and avoided me? While I was having my internal struggle, he tightened his arm around me. "Aisy? You went pale and ran out of the common room like there was Fiendfyre on your tail. What happened?"

I sighed heavily and turned to look at him. "Harry…" I began. I proceeded to explain my visions, and how I'd been getting them ever since the train ride. He frowned during my story. When I finished, I gulped and waited for the verdict. He smiled suddenly and leaned in to kiss my forehead.

I started. "What was that for?"

He laughed at my bewildered expression. "You trusted me with this, knowing I might write you off as a total nutter and stop talking to you. That means a lot to me, that you have so much faith in me."

I rolled my eyes, but I blushed. "Yes, well, any chance you're going to help me figure this out?"

"Definitely," he responded. "First things first: We need to talk to Lupin."

I frowned. "Lupin? What about Dumbledore?"

"He's next. But you're having visions about Lupin, aren't you?"

"Yes. I suppose you're right. But not now. Tomorrow, after DADA."

He grinned. "Good. In the meantime, I have an idea for something fun for our favorite Slytherin Prince tomorrow at breakfast."

I watched him suspiciously. "What would that be?"

His eyes had a mischievous glint in them that made me smile. "Would you happen to have anymore of that gender-changing potion left?"

My grin widened. "Brilliant!"

Harry laughed and stood up. He extended his hand to me, and when I took it he pulled me up. We walked to the common room, neither of us noticing that we were still holding hands.

* * *

**Please don't hurt me! I'll make a long one next time, okay?  
**

**Leave me a review! It makes me happy. Whenever I get a review I get all giddy and start giggling for no reason. Then again, that could just be insanity. Oh well.  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hiya, people whom I love and adore!  
**

**So, I like chocolate. Yum.  
**

**Not sure where that came from. Enjoy this chapter! It's a lot longer than the last one.  
**

* * *

When we entered the castle, I heard Harry's stomach grumble. I raised an amused eyebrow at him while he grinned crookedly. "I may have skived off dinner."

I gaped at him. "How can someone skive off dinner? It's… It's _dinner_. Food!"

He laughed. "Aisy, just because you're a bottomless pit doesn't mean we all are."

It was true. I may be rather slender, but you could ask any of my friends about my eating habits. It was to the point where I could compete with Ron.

I huffed indignantly. "Let's go." Still holding his hand, I pulled him toward the kitchen. When we reached the painting of the fruit, he looked rather confused. I tickled the pear. It giggled cutely and the portrait swung open, admitting us entrance to the castle's kitchen. He stared around in wonder as several house elves hurried forth. One of them squeaked, "Miss Aisy! Harry Potter!" I beamed at Dobby.

Harry looked startled. "Dobby? What are you doing here?"

Dobby looked ecstatic. "Dobby be working at Hogwarts, Harry Potter, sir! Dumbledore is a good man, lets Dobby be in the kitchens!"

I smiled at the little elf and pulled out one of my socks from deep within my robes. Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly. I shrugged. "Every time I come here, I bring Dobby something from my trunk. He especially likes socks." I handed the striped knee-high to Dobby. As usual, a huge tear dripped from his base-ball sized eye as he took it and immediately pulled it on. He dipped into an absurdly low bow. "Dobby thanks you, miss," he groveled.

I rolled my eyes and patted his head. "Stop bowing to me, Dobs," I said. "And just call me Aisy."

He straightened up immediately. "What can Dobby be getting for you?"

I looked at Harry as his stomach growled again. I turned back to Dobby. "Two mugs of hot chocolate, and a plate of sandwiches, please," I said politely.

The house elves immediately scurried off. I pulled Harry over to a table near the counter and dropped his hand, sitting. He sat next to me, and almost immediately a tiny female house elf bestowed two steaming cups of hot cocoa, along with a large platter of sandwiches. Harry and I grabbed a couple and began eating.

"How often do you come here?" Harry asked through a mouthful of food.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, but answered anyway, "Whenever I feel like it, I guess. Mostly around midnight."

He put on an expression of mock horror. "Aislynn Domecq! That is against the rules! What would Hermione think?"

I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "She isn't going to think anything, because you're not going to tell her. Am I correct?"

He gulped down the rest of his food, and a house elf whisked the empty tray and mugs away. He smiled meekly at me. "Yes, ma'am."

I smirked and rose from the table, heading to the entrance. When I got there, I turned around and placed my hands on my hips. "And one more thing: _Don't_ call me Aislynn. Do it again, and you will be on the receiving end of my very best jinx."

He laughed and came to open the portrait door for me. We emerged into the castle. He took my hand again, subconsciously, it seemed. We began walking to the common room.

I remembered something. "Oh, Harry, we get to go to Hogsmeade this year!"

He rolled his eyes. "Aisy, you've been sneaking into Hogsmeade with the twins ever since you arrived at this school. Why are you all excited now?"

"Because now I can be seen without getting into trouble!"

He frowned. "Wait a minute. Your father didn't even want you to attend this school this year. How did you get him to sign your permission slip?"

I grinned evilly. "Ryan is truly the best brother in the world. He tricked Father into signing it. Don't ask me how, because I don't know. All I know is, I owe him big time."

He shook his head in amusement. "Your whole family is entirely too devious."

I puffed up my chest proudly. "That's right, we are. When I have kids, they'll be just as mischievous as me, you watch."

He seemed to be in thought for a moment. "You want kids?"

I looked at him, my brow furrowed. "Yes, of course. Who else would carry on my legion of mischief?"

He chuckled. I looked away from him again. I didn't notice him scrutinizing me. "I didn't see you as the sort to settle down and make a family. I always imagined you to be the psychotic lady down the street with all those cats."

I scoffed and hit him on the arm with my free hand, hard. "Ouch!" he hollered, somehow simultaneously laughing.

"I will not be a batshit crazy cat lady!"

He laughed some more at my indignance. Suddenly his eyes landed on something in front of us and he stopped short, his eyes widening in horror. I spun to face the front, and I saw Mrs. Norris staring straight at us with her huge, strange eyes. "Shit," I hissed.

The cat spun around and dashed off around a corner somewhere. "Bloody hell!" Harry sputtered, dashing forward, yanking me with him. We ran as quickly as we could to the common room. I could hear Filch behind us, wheezing loudly in pursuit. He couldn't see us, though, so that was good. However, I knew we had to hide, or he'd find us soon

We approached a tapestry of a deer. I yanked Harry into the small alcove behind it. The space as tiny and tight, and there was almost no room for us. I was basically sitting on Harry's lap, and we were squished up together. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was just tight. My heartbeat quickened as we heard hobbling steps, accompanied by wheezing. "Where are they, Mrs. Norris? Where are those brats?"

I shut my eyes tight and buried my head deep in Harry's neck. He turned his face into my hair, wrapping his arms around me. We stayed like that until I heard the wobbly footsteps running away. I let out a shaky breath and looked up at Harry. His eyes were swirling with relief and something else I couldn't quite place. I laughed in relief and emerged, pulling Harry with me. We both panted slightly and walked the rest of the way to the common room, where we parted ways for the night.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was the fourth day of classes. We sat in our usual seats at the back of the Potions classroom, Harry and I at one desk and Ron and Hermione at another. On my right, Harry suddenly snickered softly. I turned to him expectantly.

"What's so funny?" I whispered.

Harry whipped his head around to look at me. He stared at me for a minute. My dark chocolate, slightly curly hair had gotten longer, and it tumbled down my back. One thick strand fell slightly into my face. I self-consciously tucked it behind my ear. I eyed him curiously as I bit my lip. His beautiful emerald-colored eyes were slightly dreamy.

He'd apparently forgotten that I had asked him something. I rolled my eyes and lightly snapped my fingers in front of his face. He started. "I'm sorry, what?"

I rolled my eyes again exasperatedly. "What are you laughing at?"

In response, he leaned back slightly to allow me to see our other friends. The corners of my lips turned upward. Ron was clearly out of it, a line of drool running down from the corner of his mouth. Hermione was wrinkling her nose disgustedly at him. I laughed softly. "He is such a moron," I murmured. Harry smiled, amused.

Snape cleared his throat to bring our attention to the front of the room. "Miss Domecq, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley," he began in his silky voice, "that will be five points each from Gryffindor, for not paying attention."

I bristled angrily. I had given up my attempt to befriend the greasy professor, and had gone back to hating him like the rest of the school. Besides the Slytherins, of course.

Snape continued, "Today, we are making the Bestia potion." Hermione's eyes lit up in recognition. "Would anyone like to tell me what this potion does?" His eyes passed over Hermione's raised hand and took me in. I was staring off into space dreamily. "Miss Domecq?"

I snapped out of my trance. I glared at the professor. I had no idea what was going on, and he knew it. He was determined to embarrass me in front of the class. Harry leaned imperceptibly closer to me and whispered, "Bestia potion. What it does."

I flashed a quick, subtle smile at him and faced the professor haughtily. I assumed an air of boredom. "The Bestia potion turns the drinker into a random wild animal, usually the form their Patronus would take." My voice was cold. I saw Harry shiver slightly out of the corner of my eye. "The drinker maintains a sound mind, but the amount of time it takes for the potion to wear off depends on how much was consumed. For instance, if only a small mouthful were taken, the effect would last for about an hour."

Harry raised his eyebrows, impressed. Hermione looked slightly disappointed at not having been able to answer the question. Ron frowned in confusion.

Snape narrowed his eyes at me. Eventually, he continued, "Everyone please select a partner, gather your ingredients, and begin stewing your potions. I will expect a flask full of your potion on my desk before you leave this classroom."

Every Gryffindor in the room either lunged at me or Hermione. She and I looked at each other, overwhelmed. Then I smirked. "'Mione, friend?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Yes, Aisy, dear?"

"Our dear fellow Gryffindors seem rather intent on pairing with us, wouldn't you say?"

She saw where I was going with this and smirked right back at me. "I would say that. But you know what, Aisy?"

I grinned now, thrilled that she was playing along. "What would that be, 'Mione?"

"Perhaps we'd be better off paired with _each other_."

An audible groan sounded from the crowd around us. I chuckled. "All right, let's do that."

She beamed at me as we got together at an empty table. The disappointed faces of our classmates sent us into a short fit of giggling before we began working studiously on our potion.

Our next class was DADA. I was slightly apprehensive for Professor Lupin had mentioned something about a practical lesson. He smiled softly at all of us gathered. This class had both Slytherins and Gryffindors, which I always found ridiculous.

"Hello," Lupin said quietly. "If you'll kindly follow me." He led us to the staff room, which was empty. A cupboard nearby was shaking and rattling loudly. Several students gasped and other retreated back several steps. Lupin cleared his throat to bring our attention to him. "That is a boggart," he said. "I managed to convince the staff to leave it in here for my third years. Does anyone know what a boggart is? Ah, Miss Granger?"

Hermione smiled primly before answering, "A boggart is a shape-shifter. It takes the form of whatever we fear most." Lupin smiled indulgently while the students tittered nervously. "Precisely. Take five points for Gryffindor." I beamed at Hermione before facing the rattling cupboard.

Lupin arranged us all in a line. "Boggarts hate laughter. So when the boggart is facing you, say, quite clearly, '_Riddikulus_!' Try it now." The class chorused, "Riddikulus!" Lupin clapped his hands once before calling forth the first person in line: Neville Longbottom.

Out of the cupboard came Snape. "Riddikulus!" Snape donned a bright green dress and a hat with a stuffed vulture on it. I laughed along with the rest of the class.

We went on in this way until it was my turn. I felt my stomach drop. I was not looking forward to my worst fear. The boggart whirled around and around, turning into a tall woman with blond hair and light blue eyes. My mother.

My mother-boggart scowled fiercely at me before opening her mouth. "You uncouth, disgusting piece of vermin!" she spat viciously, her hate-filled eyes focused solely on me. "You're the reason I'm dead! If it hadn't been for you, I could have lived happily with Ryan and your father, the only ones I ever cared about! You came along, as the worst mistake I've ever made!"

"Say the incantation!" someone shouted from behind me, but I paid them no attention. I was riveted to the spot, staring with wide, tear-filled eyes at my screaming mother. She continued to rant. "I hate you, truly I do! You don't deserve any happiness, you rotten piece of mudblood _filth_! It's because of you that I killed myself. I couldn't bear living with such an insolent rat who made each day a living hell!"

"Riddikulus!" I cried desperately, but to no avail. My mother-boggart went on and on. I felt the silent tears streaming down my face, but I could do nothing. I felt a hand take mine gently. I turned to see Harry's wide eyes staring at me, swimming with concern. He then looked at the boggart. He was about to raise his wand when Lupin stepped forward in front of us. My mother turned into a strange, silvery orb.

_The moon? _I wondered. _Why would he fear the moon? _Suddenly, I felt the pressure building in my head, to the point where it was painful. It felt like my skull was splitting open. I screamed in agony, falling to ground with my head clutched in my hands. I continued screaming, oblivious to the world.

_The creature darted through the Forbidden Forest. It stopped abruptly when it reached a small cliff. The full moon shined brightly in the otherwise perfectly dark world. The wolf tipped its head back and howled to the moon. A majestic stag, a large, shaggy black dog, and a tiny rat approached the fearsome beast. It turned its gleaming eyes onto them. Werewolf._

I shot up, gasping for air, sweat pouring down my face. I looked wildly around me. It was so bright! Why was it so bright? It was blinding me! Gradually, my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I blinked, disoriented. My eyes made out a figure sitting next to me, hunched over. I blinked again and registered that it was Harry. He was obviously asleep, slumped over in a soft chair with his head on his shoulder.

I took in my surroundings. I was in the Hospital Wing. The last thing I remembered was blacking out in DADA and having that vision of a werewolf.

_Werewolf!_ I gasped. Professor Lupin was a werewolf. There was no doubt in my mind at all. Now I really did have to talk to him: about my visions, and I had to let him know that I knew of his lycanthropy.

Harry stirred. My gaze returned to him. I smiled softly. It was obviously some late hour of the night, and here he was, watching over me, keeping me safe. He blinked blearily. He noticed me sitting up and shot up. "Aisy!" he gasped. "Are you okay? You just started screaming in class, and you passed out. It was hectic, Lupin was ordering us to take you here, and Hermione was crying, and Seamus looked really pale, so did Ron. So Ron and Hermione and I brought you here, and you were saying the same word over and over again in your sleep, 'Werewolf.'" He frowned. "Why were you saying that?"

I had to tell him. I had to tell him all about Lupin, for he already knew that I had visions. "Lupin's a werewolf."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you on about?"

I sighed exasperatedly. "Lupin. DADA professor. He's a werewolf. I saw it."

He looked shocked. "That's unbelievable. We have to speak with him as soon as you get out of here."

I nodded. Then I yawned. He smiled gently at me. "It's time for you to get some rest. You were really freaked out."

I nodded. He made to stand up, but I suddenly got a gripping fear. I didn't want him to leave me. I reached out and grabbed his hand desperately. "Stay with me."

He hesitated for a moment, then climbed under my covers with me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. I sighed contentedly and nestled my head into the crook of his neck. He buried his face into my hair, inhaling deeply. "You scared me," he murmured. "I almost thought I'd lost you."

I smirked. "It'll take a lot more than that to get rid of me."

He smiled into my hair. I felt my eyelids droop. "Good night, Aisy," was the last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep, safe in my friend's embrace.

* * *

**Guys, don't get excited. She wants him with her because she can't be alone. It frightens her. They're not bring romantic, they're being companionable.  
**

**It's still sweet though, right? c:  
**

**Leave me a review and tell me what you think!  
**

**Also, I'm considering having the next chapter in someone else's point of view! What do you guys think? Harry? Ron? Hermione? Sirius Black himself?  
**

**Or should I just keep it Aisy-style, since you all seem to be fond of her? Oh well, review and tell me.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi guys!**

**The point of view y'all wanted to see the most was Harry, so here you go!  
**

**Next will be Aisy again. I'm thinking of doing a Hermione POV, but I don't really know. I enjoy writing as Aisy too much!  
**

**Anyway, enjoy your taste of Harry.  
**

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HARRY POV:

I stared at her from across the common room. The first Hogsmeade weekend was in three days, and if I didn't ask her, someone else would. She was too pretty to go unasked.

She was curled up in the far corner in a large, plush armchair. She had a huge, ancient-looking tome in front of her, and she bit her bottom lip while her sky blue eyes scanned the page. Her hair was falling all over herself and the armchair. I remembered how soft it had been in the Hospital Wing.

She'd gotten out that morning. Madam Pomfrey had been shocked and scandalized to find me in the bed, holding her, both of us fast asleep. Eventually, when she realized nothing happened, she checked over Aisy and set her free, much to the girl's delight. The mediwitch had given me a stern glance, though.

I shifted my position on the couch in front of the fireplace. I was such a bloody coward! I growled at myself. How could I possibly have been sorted into Gryffindor? I remembered somewhere in the back of my head that I was supposed to go into Slytherin, but even Slytherins are supposed to go for what they want and let nothing stop them. I needed to ask Aisy to go to Hogsmeade with me or Seamus would beat me to it.

I'd seen the way Seamus looked at her. I wouldn't let him steal my chance. Gathering up every ounce of courage in me, I shakily picked myself up and crossed the room to Aisy. She looked up when I approached and smiled brightly. I was dazed for a minute. She had such a pretty smile, innocent, while at the same time quite devious. She looked so happy when she smiled like that.

She quirked an eyebrow at me. "What is it?"

I gulped, my heart speeding up slightly. "You're going to Hogsmeade, right?"

She looked at me as if I were an idiot, which I was. "Of course I am, Harry."

"Er…" I took a deep breath. "Would you like to go with… me?"

She smiled softly. "Harry, it's nice of you to look out for me, but you needn't bother. I have a date already."

My heart sunk. Wait… Look out for her? Did she really think I only wanted to go as friends?

I felt that anger boiling in my stomach again. "Seamus asked you, didn't he?"

She looked mildly surprised. "Yes, how'd you know?"

I didn't answer. I was too angry and frustrated. I turned on my heel and left the common room, not missing the confused look on Aisy's face.

I needed to blow off some steam. I couldn't think of anywhere to go but an empty classroom. Reaching the room, I pointed my wand at a nearby desk, yelling, "Reducto!"

It blew up in a mass of whirling splinters, easing some of my stress. I went about destroying the desks in the room until I felt calmer. "Are you done, mate?"

I whirled around to see my redheaded friend leaning against the wall. He'd entered silently and closed the door behind him. I glared at him. I really didn't want to talk about anything.

"I know how you feel about her," he said after an awkward pause. "I know you like her."

It was true. I fancied my best friend. I wasn't in love with her by any means, but I really, really liked her. I don't know when I realized this. It felt like I'd always liked her.

Nevertheless, I scowled darkly at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He sighed. He pointed his wand at a nearby pile of broken wood and uttered, "Reparo." The splinters zipped around for a bit before fitting, like a puzzle, into a desk. He sat on it and watched me. "You're jealous."

"I am not," I insisted. "I have no reason to be."

"Harry, we're best mates. I know you. I know you like Aisy."

I sank to the ground, sitting with my head on my knees. "Shut up," I mumbled.

I heard Ron sigh again. "Look mate, I know how it feels, okay?" he said. "Hermione… She'll never be interested in me. She's so smart, and pretty, and intelligent, and nice, and I'm stupid and mean all the time. I treated her like crap in our first year, and sometimes I still do. You saw how I reacted to her cat." Another heavy sigh. "I like her so much, and she doesn't feel the same way."

I looked up. I'd known Ron felt something for Hermione, but to hear him admit it out loud... This was pretty difficult for him. I gave him a half-smile.

He half-smiled back at me. He looked out a window. It was dark. "Let's go," he said. "It's almost curfew."

We walked back to the common room. I felt like I'd reached a new point with Ron. He was in my situation too, and I ignored the tiny voice in my head that said at least his girl wasn't being stolen.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was time to go. The carriages were parked outside the school, awaiting the students. I'd been avoiding Aisy ever since my small episode in the common room. I was in an extremely foul mood, and only Ron knew why. Hermione kept shooting me concerned glances as the three of us sat in one of the carriages. Eventually I snapped.

"What are you staring at, Hermione?" I spat.

She looked startled for a second. "What's your problem?"

I groaned and looked out the carriage window. I heard Ron's quiet voice. "Leave him alone, 'Mione. He's just upset about some things that aren't quite working out in his favor." I heard the slight sadness in his voice, and realized that he probably felt the same way I did, minus the jealousy.

There was a pause, and then Hermione said knowingly, "It's because Aisy is going to Hogsmeade with Seamus, isn't it?"

Stunned, I faced them. "How does everyone know that I fancy her?"

She stared at me. "You're blatantly obvious, I'm afraid."

I growled. "Well that's just fantastic. Let's all poke fun at Harry because the girl he likes is with some other bloke! He won't care! It's not as if the bird actually means something to him."

She narrowed her eyes at my tone. "Don't you speak to me like that," she said in a dangerously low voice. "I've done nothing to you, and neither has Aisy. Do you know she came to me almost in tears a couple days ago because she thought you were angry with her? You hurt her feelings, Harry. She's feeling horribly guilty, and went on and on talking about ways to say she was sorry. She thinks she did something, and really you're the only one at fault!"

I felt the cold weight of guilt drop into my stomach. I never wanted to hurt Aisy. I was furious with myself for being a coward and Seamus for stealing her from me, but never with her. "I'm a prat," I mumbled.

"Yeah, you are."

"'Mione, don't make the bloke feel worse," Ron interjected. I shot him a grateful smile. He nodded at me.

Hermione sighed impatiently, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, Harry, you need to apologize and put her mind at ease. She really does feel terrible."

I nodded. "I know. I'm going to, if I see her at the village."

She watched me for a moment, finally bowing her head slightly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

I stared back at her incredulously. "'Mione, I should be the one saying that to you!"

We laughed awkwardly and then sat in silence for the rest of the trip.

Finally we arrived at the village. As the three of us walked to the Three Broomsticks, I saw Aisy ahead of us. I almost called out, when I saw who was with her.

Seamus. They were holding hands.

That boiling rage in my stomach made another appearance. I felt my features take on a cold mask. Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances. The bushy-haired girl spoke up. "Harry, we don't _have_ to go there first…"

"I want to," I insisted. We traipsed into the pub.

I immediately spotted Aisy and Seamus. They were seated near the door, along with Dean and a couple Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. They were right next to each other, and Seamus kept stealing glances over at her. She was laughing at something Hannah Abbott had said. She suddenly looked over toward us and caught my eye. Alarm and sadness swam in her blue depths before she abruptly looked away and smiled weakly at Seamus, who looked delighted.

Gritting my teeth, I signaled to my other two friends. "Let's go find a table."

A few hours later, the summons for all Hogwarts students came. Ron, Hermione, and I got a carriage with Neville. After we were seated, Aisy climbed in and sat next to Hermione and Ron, looking flushed. "Hi 'Mione, Ron," she said breathlessly ignoring me. This caused a pang in my heart.

Hermione looked between us nervously before smiling back at Aisy. "What's got you all excited?"

Aisy blushed prettily. She chewed her lip for a moment, stalling, before finally saying, "Seamus asked me to be his girlfriend."

Hermione exclaimed in surprise and delight, while Ron looked at me uncomfortably. Neville seemed to sense the awkwardness in the air, so he kept quiet.

I felt this sort of turmoil inside me. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach, which was churning with raw anger and jealousy. When Aisy turned anxious blue eyes on me, I stiffened.

"Harry?" Her voice was tiny and unsure. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for whatever I did a few days ago. You were really angry with me, and I just want you to know that I feel terrible."

I felt like hitting something, but I forced a weak smile at her. "You didn't do anything wrong, Aisy," I muttered. "I was in a rotten mood and I took it out on you. _I'm_ sorry."

She beamed. "So you're not upset with me?"

I shook my head stiffly, freezing up even more when she flew at me, her arms wrapped tightly around my middle. I didn't hug her back, ignoring her confused expression when she eventually pulled away. She exchanged a look with Hermione, who shook her head slightly. Ron shot me a remorseful glance, which I also promptly ignored.

Neville shifted awkwardly. "Er… how about our Herbology lesson yesterday?" he asked.

Ron, Hermione, and I just stared at him, but Aisy smiled indulgently. "I found it very interesting, Neville," she said. She turned to Ron. "Didn't you?"

He frowned, but nodded nevertheless.

I stared at Aisy. "So you're with Seamus now, huh?"

She smiled brightly. I once again suppressed the urge to hit something. "Yes, I am."

Must. Resist. Urge. To. Blow. Up. Irish. Pyromaniac.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Almost every day after that, they were seen together. Holding hands, hugging, laughing. It made me sick.

One day, I managed to yank Aisy away from her precious boyfriend to talk to Lupin. She'd been stalling, but I wouldn't let her procrastinate anymore. Also, I had to tell him about something odd I'd seen on the Marauders' Map the Weasley twins had given me. I'd seen Peter Pettigrew on the map.

According to what I heard in the Three Broomsticks, Sirius Black was the reason my parents were dead. He'd been best friends with my dad, and had been the Secret Keeper for them. He was allegedly the one to tell Voldemort where they were. After they died, Pettigrew searched out Black in front of several muggles. Black had then blasted him away, along with all the witnesses. He'd been pulled away by wizarding authorities, laughing maniacally.

Anyway, when classes were over, we confronted Lupin in his classroom. He looked mildly surprised to see us. Aisy was looking anxious, but I touched her arm comfortingly. I'd decided to stop acting like a jealous freak and just be her friend again, and it was better for both of us.

"Sir?" she began timidly. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I know what you are."

I looked at her, taken aback. Was she really going to be so outright with it? Lupin immediately looked alarmed and apprehensive. "W- What do you mean, Miss Domecq?"

"You're a werewolf," she said without preamble. Lupin went pale, looking between me and her with growing fear on his face. "How… How did you…"

"I had visions about you," she said. "Ever since I met you, I've been seeing these strange memories that don't even belong to me. They showed a huge, wolf-like creature running through the forest, or pacing up and down in the Shrieking Shack. I knew it was you, though I didn't know how I knew. You were always followed by the same three animals: a stag, a huge black dog, and a rat." She paused. "Your name was Moony."

He looked at her, white as a ghost. Then he looked at me. "He knows?" he asked softly.

Aisy nodded. "We're not going to tell anyone," she said. "Right Harry?"

I nodded vehemently. Lupin looked so relieved, it was almost comical; he let out a huge breath and sank into his chair. He then looked at Aisy again. "Is that the only reason you're here?"

She shook her head, looking more anxious now. "Can you explain this to me?" she asked desperately. "Can you tell me why I know things I shouldn't?"

He shook his head sadly. "I don't know why you're seeing these things," he said. "I think you should talk to Dumbledore about this."

Aisy deflated. After wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder, I remembered what I needed to talk to the professor about. "Professor?"

He turned his amber gaze on me.

"You know that map you took from Snape when he confiscated it from me?"

"What about it?" Lupin asked, looking cautious again.

"I saw someone on it. Someone who shouldn't be alive."

Aisy watched Lupin closely. I'd told her about seeing Pettigrew already.

Lupin stared at me. "Who would that be, Mr. Potter?"

I took a deep breath. "Peter Pettigrew, sir."

He gaped at me in shock. "That's impossible, Harry. Peter was murdered years ago, by—"

"Sirius Black. I know." I watched for Lupin's reaction when I said these next words: "My godfather."

If Lupin looked startled before, he looked outright shell shocked now. "Harry, how did you know he was your godfather?"

"I heard it in the Three Broomsticks from the Minister of Magic, Professor, but that's not my point. My point is, if this Pettigrew man has been dead for almost thirteen years, then why is he showing up on this map?"

Lupin shook his head. "The map is wrong. It has to be."

I shook my head slowly. "No, Professor, you know that's not the truth. The map is never wrong."

He continued shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know what's going on, but you needn't worry about this," he insisted. "As long as Sirius Black doesn't make an appearance on the map, you'll be fine."

Aisy looked uncomfortable. I shot her a confused look, but she just forced a smile at me and shook her head. I made a mental note to talk to her later as I faced Lupin once more. "Thanks for listening to us, Professor," I said politely. He nodded, looking distracted, as Aisy and I left the classroom.

A few weeks earlier, Hagrid's hippogriff, Buckbeak, had attacked Malfoy. His trial was in a few days, and we were all trying to find ways to help him win. However, no matter how much searching we did, we couldn't find any evidence for our side. Hagrid was getting more and more depressed with each passing day.

Not to mention, things between Ron and Hermione were getting tenser and tenser. Ron was convinced that her cat, Crookshanks, was out to get his rat, while Hermione protested that he'd always been prejudiced against her cat. Aisy and I usually kept out of the arguments, although Aisy was leaning more towards Hermione's side. This feud between our two best friends only increased in fury when my Firebolt came. Hermione was suspicious because there was no note attached. After she'd told McGonagall that she thought Black sent it, my broom was confiscated. Ron was furious, and if I'm being honest, so was I.

Eventually, I got my broom back. Ron and I were conversing in front of the fireplace in the common room when Aisy cornered us, Seamus in tow. While he admired my broom, she looked at me pointedly. "It's time for you to make up with 'Mione. She was only looking out for your best interests."

Tearing my glare away from Seamus, my gaze softened when I looked at Aisy. "You're right," I sighed.

We found her in the library, reading a letter Hagrid had written. Shakily, she handed it to us.

Hagrid had lost the case. The appeal for Buckbeak's life was in a week.

Ron straightened up, a determined look in his eyes. "You're not doing this alone, 'Mione," he said. "We're going to help you."

"Oh, Ronald!" she cried happily, throwing herself on him. She buried her face in his chest. He looked stunned. He looked down at Hermione, awkwardly patting her on the back.

Aisy and I exchanged knowing looks, when I remembered that I was the same way when I hugged her. I turned away, my face flaming.

Was I ever going to figure things out with Aisy?

* * *

**Sigh. This pains me to write. Why the hell is Aisy with the wrong guy?  
**

**I'm sorry if this frustrates you, but everything will work out in the end. I swear on the name of Rowena Ravenclaw.  
**

**(Yep, that's right, Miss FawkesAlways is a Claw. Woot!) c;  
**

**Review please! It only takes a few seconds!  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Warning! This is a short chapter. Sorry. :c**

**But I think you'll forgive me when you read it. :D  
**

**So enough of my pointless jibber jabber! Read on!  
**

* * *

AISY'S POV:

I sat on the armchair in the corner of the common room, waiting. I was so confused. Seamus had been acting so weirdly lately. We'd been dating for a couple months, and I thought I really liked him. But now he was avoiding me, or snapping at me. I didn't know what I'd done wrong.

Now I was determined to find out his problem. I was going to wait until he came down from the boys' dorm, and I was going to find out his deal. My head snapped up as the exact boy I was stressing about came down the stairs.

He stopped short when he saw me, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Er, hullo, Aislynn."

I narrowed my eyes. "Aislynn?" I asked incredulously. "Since when am I Aislynn?"

He looked away from me. Growing exasperated, I walked toward him until I stood right in front of him. "What the bloody hell is up with you lately?" I demanded.

He rubbed the back of his neck, still avoiding my eyes. "Um…"

"You've been avoiding me. When you actually do talk to me, you're all snippy. Would you mind telling me what I did wrong?"

He sighed heavily. "Look, Aisy, I… I don't like you."

I felt like I'd been slapped. My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. "W- What?"

"I'm sorry," he said plaintively. He finally met my gaze. His eyes were slightly remorseful. "I just don't feel that way about you anymore. I used to, but you just…"

"Just what?" I inquired, a bit startled at how cold my voice sounded.

He sighed again. "You spend too much time with Harry."

I sputtered. "_What_?"

"You fancy him. It's painfully obvious," he explained.

I felt my eyes widen comically. Then I started laughing incredulously. I must have looked slightly mental, because Seamus started edging away from me.

"You- You think I like _Harry_?" The idea was ridiculous. The notion that I could like my best friend.

Seamus regarded me sadly. "I'm sorry, Aisy," he said. He left the common room. I sank into the chair again, still in disbelief. How could he possibly believe I was interested in Harry? It was insane.

_Then again, what's so mad about it? _some strange little voice inside my head asked.

'What are you on about?' I thought.

_What's crazy about liking Harry?_

'You're mental!'

_Of course I am. I'm you. You're absolutely mental._

'True. But still…'

_Aisy. Harry's always been there for you, even when you were being an arse. He's sweet, and brave, and patient. He'd have to be to put up with you. Also, he's not bad looking-_

'Stop that train of thought right now!'

_You know it's true._

'Harry's my best mate!'

_But you wish he could be the _other _type of mate, don't you?_

"Oh my Godric!" I exclaimed out loud. Why was I even thinking this? I didn't like Harry!

…Did I?

oOoOoOoOoOo

I sat out by the lake. A pile of stones rested by my feet, and every once in a while I'd pick up one, attempting to skip it across the lake. Each try failed miserably. The stones merely sank as soon as they touched the water's surface. Eventually giving up, I sighed and laid back, staring at the stars. It was almost curfew, and no one else was out. I'd taken this golden opportunity to be alone and think.

I heard a familiar bark. I turned my head to the side and smiled at the sight of the large dog.

He'd come to me for the first time a few weeks earlier. He was huge and shaggy with black fur and piercing silver eyes. Those eyes were what struck me the most. They were so alert and intelligent, almost like a human's.

Anyway, the dog gave me a weird dog-grin. I sat up again and patted its nose. "Hi, Sirius."

Oh, did I forget to mention that?

FLASHBACK TIIIIIIME!

"_Hello again, doggy!" I said, scratching his ears. This was the seventh day I'd played with the dog. For the past week, I'd brought him scraps and talked to him. Yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking, but he was a surprisingly good listener, even making little noises at the appropriate places, which I found amusing. I'd talk to him about schoolwork, about what an arse Snape was (at which point the dog would make an odd snuffling sound which resembled laughter), and other things. Especially Harry. He'd always pay special attention when I spoke about my best friend, tilting his head to the side slightly and perking his ears up._

_Today, he stared at me tensely. I frowned at him. "What's wrong, boy?"_

_The dog whined softly. He started to walk around in a circle, as if he were debating over something in his head. Finally he stopped and met my eyes. I thought I imagined the determination I saw in them._

_And then before I could blink, notorious mass murderer Sirius Black stood before me._

_He was so ragged-looking. His lanky hair reached his shoulders, and his eyes were almost dead. His face was gaunt. He looked like he'd been handsome once, but twelve years in Azkaban had stolen his looks._

_I froze in shock, subconsciously wrapping my fingers around my wand._

_He held out his hands to me in a sign of surrender. I continued to gawk at him. He managed a small, crooked smile. _

"_Why aren't you killing me?" I sputtered, a bit surprised to hear the words coming out of my mouth. Why would I talk to him like that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"_I assume you've heard the tales about the infamous Sirius Black," he said cheekily. "What would you say if I told you they weren't true?"_

_I considered him for a moment. He hadn't tried to kill me yet, and from what I'd heard, he shouldn't have hesitated. After all, what was I to him? So, pulling out my wand and sitting on the ground, I motioned for him to sit beside me, which he did. "Go on."_

_So he explained the situation to me. He told me everything: how he'd been best friends with James, along with Lupin and Pettigrew (the four of them had been called the Marauders); how Sirius had told James and Lily to switch to Pettigrew as their Secret Keeper; how Sirius had chased Pettigrew into a muggle street, where the rat had faked his own death. At the end of his story, I studied his dead eyes closely. I saw no hint of deceit, so I decided to go insane and trust the guy._

"_I believe you," I told him, and he broke out into a wide grin._

Sirius Black transformed into his human self. "Hullo, Aisy. Gotten any farther with telling Harry what really happened?"

I winced slightly, for I hadn't gotten around to it. "No, not exactly. But I do have an idea."

He raised a curious eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I was thinking Harry could meet you."

Sirius spluttered in shock. "Meet me? Are you mad? He'd kill me on sight! The boy thinks I murdered his parents, for Merlin's sake!" I didn't miss the mumbled, "_Although I might as well have…_"

"That's why I'll force him to listen. I'll tell him to at least hear you out before he does anything," I assured the man.

Sirius studied me for a moment before sighing in defeat. "All right," he said. "I'll meet him."

"As if you had a choice," I said cheekily.

He mock-glared at me before giving a bark-like laugh. "Yeah, as if I had a choice."

"Come _on_, Harry, quit being such a prat!" I dragged my best friend by the hand toward a secluded spot by the lake, ignoring the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Aisy, what are you doing with me?" he asked suspiciously as we finally reached the shady tree. I did a quick examination of the grounds and was pleased to find that no one was in sight. Finally I turned to him and steeled myself for what I was about to do. "Harry?"

"Yeah?" he asked, still looking bewildered. We sat on the ground and he watched me expectantly.

I took a deep breath. "Sirius Black is innocent."

He looked taken aback. "What?"

I told him everything, without preamble. He was stock still as he listened to me, his emerald eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. When I finished, he remained silent, still gaping openly at me. "Harry, dear, you're going to catch flies," I said snidely, rolling my eyes.

He shut his mouth with a _snap_ and shook his head. "Aisy, do you really believe that?"

I nodded firmly. "Yes, Harry, I do."

He stared at me, disbelief and skepticism in his features. "How do you know this?" he asked slowly.

I turned my head to the side. His eyes followed mine, and he stood quickly when he saw the huge dog watching us. Before our eyes, the dog turned into Sirius Black. Harry let out an exclamation of shock and frantically searched for his wand. Coming up empty, he stared at me wildly. I smirked and help up the piece of wood. "Now you'll have to listen," I said.

Sirius sat on the ground, palms facing towards Harry. I took Harry's hand and gently squeezed it, reassuring him. He gave me one last alarmed look before he calmed down and sat with me. "Explain," he commanded the ex-convict.

Sirius looked at me. "She's explained it all pretty sufficiently."

Harry glared at him suspiciously. "How am I to know you're not lying to us?"

I forced Harry to look at me. "You know about my…ahem…_special abilities_," I said emphatically. "I would know if he's being dishonest. There's no hint of deceit in him."

Harry studied me for a moment, before finally nodding. He turned to Sirius. "You had no hand in my parents' death?"

"Never!" Sirius exclaimed. "James was my best friend, Harry, and it tore me apart when I realized that our other best friend had betrayed us. I was completely at fault in some way, however. I was the one who told them to switch to the rat," he spat, his voice full of loathing. Then he hung his head dejectedly. "I'm so sorry."

My heart broke. I looked at Harry pleadingly. He met my eyes, sorrow swimming in his own. I nodded at him, and he faced Sirius once more. "I believe you," he said.

The joy that lit up Sirius's eyes was heartwarming. Harry approached him hesitantly and they hugged for the first time. I grinned so widely I thought my face would split in half. Finally, Harry had a family.

* * *

**Awwww! ****THANK GOD Aisy and Seamus split up. I hated them as a couple. What was she thinking?  
**

**Just so you know, these characters aren't just names on a page for me. They have lives and choices like the rest of us.  
**

**But Aisy made a bad choice with that guy. Hehe. c:  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hullo, loves! I'm sorry for being so much later than usual, and I understand if you want to cast an Unforgiveable on me, but I had some extremely important business to attend to! I hope you can forgive me.****  
**

**In case you can't, I'm bribing you with this extra extra long chapter. Perhaps it'll butter you up enough to stop hating me?  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

HERMIONE'S POV:

The four of us sat on the couch as usual. I was perched on the arm of couch, my legs dangling near Ronald, who was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch. Aisy was on the far end, playing with Harry's hair. His head was in her lap. I chuckled sympathetically as I saw that he looked extremely exhausted. We'd been studying all day. End-of-year exams were in a few weeks, and I, being the most studious one, had pressured my group of friends until their brains came close to implosion.

Aisy, who, although extremely smart, was never too keen on homework and other such activities, had her eyes closed as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through Harry's hair. Ronald suddenly nudged my leg and I looked at him questioningly. He nodded towards Harry and Aisy. Even though I'd already noticed them, I smiled softly anyway. When Ronald wasn't looking, however, I stole a glance at him. His vibrant hair fell in his face, so he shook it out of his ocean-colored eyes. My heart fluttered in my chest and I felt slight heat rising to my cheeks. When he turned his gaze on me, I full-out blushed.

"'Mione?" he said curiously. I shook my head, permitting a tiny smile to grace my lips. He stood and took my hand, pulling me off of the couch. When I shot him a confused look, he sent another pointed look at the dozing pair near us. I managed to stifle my disappointed sigh. Of course he wasn't taking me away to be alone. He was taking me away to leave _them _alone.

I did, however, notice that he didn't drop my hand as we left the common room. This knowledge caused the heat to rise to my face once more, and unless my eyes were mistaken, Ronald's ears were tinged with pink as well. Perhaps there was hope for me yet.

LATER:

AISY'S POV:

Finally coming to, I blinked blearily at my surroundings. Huh, that was odd. I wasn't in my bed. I started when I realized that not only was I on the couch in front of the fireplace in the common room, but there was a strange blanket covering me. Again, that was odd. I couldn't remember fetching a blanket. The last thing I remembered was finally shutting my Divination book with a relieved sigh before relaxing against the couch. Harry had laid his head down on my lap while I messed with his already-unruly hair. I must have dozed off. Had Harry given me this blanket then?

I smiled to myself. That was thoughtful of him. I was really glad to have him as a friend.

_Oh, for the love of chocolate frogs, you know you want more than that._

'You again?" I thought exasperatedly at my annoying conscience.

_Yes dear, good to see you too. Stop denying that you feel something for Harry._

'For Merlin's sake, I am not in love with him!'

_I didn't say that, did I?_

I was confused. 'Then what are you talking about?'

I could almost hear a frustrated groan. _I never said you were in love with him. But you do feel _something _for him, don't you?_

I considered this. Every time I saw Harry, an involuntary smile rose to my lips. Whenever my hand touched his, my heart gave a tiny flutter which I had yet to explain. Could it be true? Did I really fancy my best friend?

Yes, I did. Wow. When did that happen?

_Ah, I see you've finally come to the correct conclusion. It's about time._

'Shut up.' I sighed heavily and sat up, stretching with a wide yawn. "Morning," came an amused voice to my left, which sounded heavy with tiredness. I looked over and blushed when I saw the object of my thoughts sitting on a plush chair. I smiled sleepily at him. "What time is it?"

He shrugged. "I went up to bed hours ago and just now came down. I think it might be around six in the morning."

I nodded. Sitting up further, I patted the spot next to me. He joined me, promptly stealing most of the blanket. "Hey!" I yelped indignantly.

He smirked, covering himself up sufficiently. "Well, it is my blanket."

"You surrendered that blanket when you gave it to me last night." Then I remembered I had yet to thank him. I leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, ignoring the heat rising to my own. "That was sweet, by the way."

He smiled crookedly at me. "Well, if you froze to death, who would entertain me when I get bored?"

He laughed as I glared at him.

Weeks passed. Exams ended after what seemed like years and years of testing, during which Hermione was a total frustrated wreck. I finally got to my meeting with Dumbledore, who promised me that e'd investigate my strange issues.

Then one day, it was time for Buckbeak's execution. The four of us headed to Hagrid's hut under the invisibility cloak. He was less than pleased to see us. "What're yeh doin' here?" he asked frantically. "They can' see yeh here!"

"We want to be here for you when… it… happens," I persisted. I felt my heart clench a little as I said these words. I was known for adoring animals. This was the main reason I got along so well with Hagrid.

He shook his head quickly. Then he looked out the window. "Oh no!" he cried. We all looked out and saw the Minister of Magic, Dumbledore, and the executioner heading towards the hut. The three stopped to look at Buckbeak for a minute before continuing to advance. Hagrid turn his wild, grief-stricke gaze on us. "Yeh gotta get outta here!" he insisted, shoving us out the back door, where we donned the Cloak once more and scurried away. We got a little ways from the hut when we stopped. The Cloak lied on the ground, forgotten. I saw the man lift his axe…

…And then bring it down.

My eyes blurred as tears streamed down my face. Letting out a choked sob, I buried my head in Harry's chest. He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing soothing circles into my back. I could hear Hermione's muffled sobs, which led me to believe that her face was buried in a certain redhead's chest. I was too distraught to find any satisfaction in this fact.

"Ow!" Ron's sudden yelp brought us out of our distress. We stared at him curiously. He was trying to keep a hold of Scabbers, who seemed intent on escaping. I tensed as I watched the rat, knowing exactly who he was. I felt Harry stiffen as well. Ron looked at us incredulously. "He bit me!" he cried.

I had the odd urge to laugh. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sirius in dog form pounced on Ron. Harry and I exchanged bewildered and frightened glances.

What the hell?

Hermione's scream brought us back to the situation. Sirius was dragging Ron towards the Whomping Willow. "What the hell are you doing?" I cried frantically as the three of us chased after Ron and Sirius. Ron was yelling in fear while the dog continued dragging him toward a strange burrow-like section of the menacing tree.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed, sounding terrified. The redhead, the black dog, and the rat disappeared into the hole at the base of the tree. "Ron!" Hermione called again.

We dove for the hole, when FWAP! The wind was knocked out of me by a branch of the Willow. I clung on desperately, deaf to the horrified shouts of my friends. The vine-like branch whipped me around and around, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to throw up. Hearing two startled and pained yells, I opened my eyes slightly and saw that the tree had a hold of Harry and Hermione too. Suddenly, I lost my grip on the branch and found myself launched straight into the hole. The others followed me shortly. We all lied on the ground for a minute, still in pain and shock. Then we heard, "Help me!"

Springing to our feet once more, we darted after Ron into the Shrieking Shack itself.

He was lying against a decrepit bed, his left leg twisted and obviously broken. Hermione ran straight to him in tears, demanding to know if he was okay. His eyes were wide and horrified, however, as he stared at something over Harry's and my shoulders. We whirled around. Sirius Black stood there, looking murderous, shutting the door.

Terror nearly consumed me. I felt Harry's hand tightly gripping my own. "What the bloody hell, Sirius?" I yelled angrily, even though I could pass out from fear.

He spared a glance at me before his furious gaze returned to Ron—or, more specifically, the rat in Ron's hands. I knew instantly what he wanted. I dashed to Ron's side and attempted to snatch Scabbers from him. Ron stared at me in bewilderment. "What are you doing?"

"Just give me the damn rat, git!" I hollered impatiently, succeeding in wresting Pettigrew from Ron's hands. He and Hermione looked at me as if I were a ghost. Harry's face was grim, however. Sirius looked darkly eager.

"Explain to them," I said to Sirius, pointing at Ron and Hermione. "Explain what really happened."

Hermione finally spoke up. "Aisy, what—"

"Shut up and listen!" I exclaimed. She looked shocked, but closed her mouth. The two of them turned expectantly to the ragged man who stood by the door. As he was about to open his mouth, the door swung open, and in came a frantic Professor Lupin. His eyes landed on us before turning to Sirius. Then they did the oddest thing; they hugged.

I was surprised. "You already told him?" I asked.

Letting go of his childhood friend, Sirius turned back to the four—really, five—of us and nodded.

Hermione finally lost it. "WHAT IS GOING ON?" She stared at me wildly. "AISY, WHY ARE YOU ACTING AS IF YOU KNOW THIS MAN? HE'S A MURDERER! HE'S AFTER YOUR BEST FRIEND! DOESN'T THAT MATTER TO YOU AT ALL?" Her furious and bewildered screeches echoed eerily throughout the shack. Then she turned her murderous gaze on Lupin. "AND _YOU!_"

Lupin gulped visibly. "Miss Granger, please…"

"WE TRUSTED YOU!" she screamed, appearing quite demented. I was more than a little afraid of her at this point, and a quick glance at Harry's face showed that he felt the same. Ron's expression continued to convey dull horror. "YOU WERE OUR TEACHER! AND THE ENTIRE TIME, YOU WERE IN CAHOOTS WITH _HIM!" _She jabbed a finger at Sirius, whose eyes were focused solely on Pettigrew. She turned back to Harry, her voice lowering somewhat, but still loud. "Harry, he helped Black into the castle! He wants you dead too! HE'S A WEREWOLF!"

The last word echoed around the room. Lupin slumped slightly as he sighed. "You and Mr. Weasley need to hear the rest of the story," he said as calmly as he could. He started to approach Ron, apparently going to heal his leg, but Ron stretched out of his grasp painfully, yelling, "Stay away from me, werewolf!"

At this my temper flared. "Shut it, Weasley!" I snapped. Ron stared at me, betrayal crossing his pale, freckly features, but I turned expectantly to Lupin. The werewolf looked at Hermione suddenly. "When did you find out I was a werewolf?" he asked quietly.

She stared him down, though fear still fogged her chocolate eyes. "After Snape assigned us that essay," she replied.

He nodded with a small sigh. "He'll be delighted," he responded coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant... Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both," Hermione said quietly.

Lupin forced a laugh. "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."

"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf," Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy—"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" the furious redhead yelled . "YOUVE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" He was pointing at Sirius, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.

"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain."

They narrowed their eyes at me, Lupin, and Sirius. Apparently, they'd decided that I was an enemy, even though Harry was obviously in on this as well. Figures. I rolled my eyes.

"If you haven't been helping him," Hermione said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it—"

"You know how to work it?" Harry asked, sounding surprised.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony-that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You wrote—?"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?" He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet. "You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry-"

"How d'you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it...," said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" blurted Hermione, looking startled. "No, we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing. He acted as if he hadn't heard the curly-headed girl. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" Hermione insisted.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black... I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow -"

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you." He stopped pacing. "Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he asked evenly, glancing at me expectantly.

"What?" Ron sputtered. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," replied Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"

I nodded with a small smile and handed the vermin to him.

He moved to the center of the room. All eyes were on him. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Ron asked again, looking slightly scared. "What do you want with my rat?"

"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius suddenly.

"What d'you mean—of course he's a rat—"

"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," added Sirius, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

Ron and Hermione looked gobsmacked. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Ron spoke up. "You're both mental."

Hermione's wide eyes glanced between Lupin, then Black, then the rat, then back to Lupin. "Ridiculous," she breathed. She looked at Lupin, then spoke in a reasoning voice, as if willing him to talk sensibly, "But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin asked calmly. It was as if we were in class, and he was asking Hermione to explain an answer she'd given on a test. Again, the strange desire to laugh entered my mind, but I remained silent.

"Because..." Hermione was looking slightly desperate now as she tried to keep the conversation logical. "Because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework—the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things... and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."

My eyes widened. I was impressed. She really got into her schoolwork. I, for one, would never understand it.

Lupin started to laugh. "Right again, Hermione!" he exclaimed, almost proudly. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Sirius urged. He was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right... but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin. "I only know how it began..." He broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of us stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing. "No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" Ron wheezed.

"It's not," Lupin said with a shake of his head, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted... The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me." He was silent for a moment, then said, "That's where all of this starts—with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitter... and if I hadn't been so foolhardy..." He looked sober and tired.

Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said, "Shh!" She was watching Lupin very intently. Harry and I were as well. I saw the sadness in Lupin's amber eyes as he took a deep breath.

The man continued, "I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform... I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.

"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.

"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school..." Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house—" Lupin looked miserably around the room, "—the tunnel that leads to it—they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

I didn't exactly see where this story was going, but I listened attentively anyway. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking. A low growl rumbled in my throat at the sound, and Harry squeezed my hand.

"My transformations in those days were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor... Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it...

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, your father, Harry—James Potter.

"Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her... I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth...

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked, astounded. He was truly engaged in Lupin's tale, pointless as it seemed.

"Yes, indeed." Lupin nodded. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong—one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."

"But how did that help you?" asked Hermione, sounding puzzled. I let out a tiny breath of relief. At least she was listening instead of trying to hex them. Then again, being a stickler for the rules, she'd never dare attack a teacher. I smiled fondly.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," continued Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed... Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."

"Hurry up, Remus," Sirius snarled. He was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face. I let go of Harry, walked over, and took Sirius's hand, much to his surprise. Smiling reassuringly at him, I turned back to Lupin.

"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there... Well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did... And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."

"What sort of animal—?" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off.

"That was still really dangerous!" she gasped, looking scandalized. "Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," Lupin admitted heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless—carried away with our own cleverness.

"I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course... He had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed..." Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. I felt sorry for him, my head tilting to the side. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me... And Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it... So, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."

"Snape?" Sirius interrupted harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?" I gulped.

"He's here, Sirius," replied Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Ron, Hermione, Harry, and me. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons... You see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me—"

Sirius made a derisive noise. "It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to... Hoping he could get us expelled..."

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month," Lupin told Harry, Ron, Hermione, and me. "We were in the same year, you know, and we—er—didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field... Anyway, Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be—er—amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it—if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf—but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life... Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was..."

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Harry realized slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.

Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.

I groaned inwardly. Perfect!

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**GOD, SNAPE. SERIOUSLY, DUDE?  
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**I hope you all liked this! Next chapter will be up much sooner, I promise!  
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**Leave me a review, please! Pretty please with house elves on top?  
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**Wow, that sounds morbid. Forget I said that. o.o  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
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**Rachel c;  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hi guys.  
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**This chapter is longer than my last one for a certain reason.  
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**That reason is that at the end of this chapter, you're going to hate me. And I mean a lot. So this chapter's longer, to make up for the hatred.  
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**Quick warning, something really terrible happens. At least, I think it's horrible. But for the story, it's necessary.  
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**Read on at your own risk. :c  
**

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"_Excellent _timing, you bloody wanker," I murmured. Snape's furious black gaze snapped to me before resting on Lupin once more.

Hermione screamed. Sirius dropped my hand, tensing up. I quickly darted over to Harry, who looked as though he'd been stabbed.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape said smoothly, throwing the cloak aside. "Very useful, Potter, thank you..."

"You bloody wanker!" I repeated, loudly this time. I was incensed.

Snape stared at me viciously. "Shut your mouth, you insolent pest," he snapped. "You'll be in enough trouble once we get out of here without adding insulting a teacher to it." Then he looked at Lupin again. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did... Lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus—" Lupin began, but Snape cut him off.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout—"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin insisted urgently. "You haven't heard everything—I can explain—Sirius is not here to kill Harry—"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," Snape hissed, his eyes gleaming. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... A tame werewolf—"

"You fool," Lupin said softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

Thin cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he teetered and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Sirius started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Sirius's eyes.

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

I had watched this entire episode in stunned silence. Finally I spoke up. "You goddamn idiot!" I yelled angrily. "Why won't you pull your head out of your arse and listen to them?"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Sirius's face.

"WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND—?" I began furiously, but Harry and Hermione grabbed my arms and pulled me back. As I struggled against them, letting out a string of curses that a sailor would've been proud of, Sirius turned his attention back to Sirius, who was looking madder by the second.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Sirius snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle—" He jerked his head at Ron. "—I'll come quietly..."

"Up to the castle?" questioned Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black... Pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay..."

Sirius paled completely. I felt the blood draining from my face as well as I remembered the sound of the deranged shrieking, and a little girl sobbing… And that red light…

"You—you've got to hear me out," Sirius croaked, bringing me back to the present. "The rat—look at the rat—"

Snape's black eyes glinted evilly. I saw that it was a lost cause trying to reason with him. He was too far gone in his hate.

"Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too—"

Suddenly, Harry strode across the room purposefully, blocking the exit. His determined eyes were fixed solely on the mad Potions professor.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," the latter snarled. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin—"

"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry insisted. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?" I stared expectantly at Snape. Let's see what genius, well thought out answer he delivers now!

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," he hissed. "Get out of the way, Potter." See? Wasn't that genius and well thought out?

"YOURE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled, startling me with his sudden loss of temper. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN—"

As I watched Harry, I was suddenly struck by how brave and noble he was being. The Potions professor was more than a little scary, yet here Harry was, refusing to let him bring injustice onto an innocent man. An unexplainable warmth filled me.

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. I rolled my eyes. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black—now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

Harry raised his wand. I did the same, and went over to stand beside him.

"Expelliarmus!" we yelled—except that ours weren't the only voices that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

Harry and I looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Sirius, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me."

Harry avoided the man's eyes, looking into mine instead. I gave him a small smile, which he returned uneasily. We were screwed now.

"We attacked a teacher... We attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble—" I wanted to lauh, but turned my attention to Lupin instead.

He was struggling against his bonds. Sirius and I bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.

"Thank you, Harry," he said.

"I still don't think we should believe you," Ron told Lupin, shooting a quick glare at me. This saddened me, but I remained silent.

"Then it's time we offered you some proof," the DADA professor said. "You, Domecq—give me Peter, please. Now."

I held out the rat, but Ron's voice stopped me.

"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at Hermione for support. She was still fretting about attacking Snape. "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat—there are millions of rats—how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Sirius and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"

Black put one of his clawlike hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others.

It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked, sounding thunderstruck.

"Fudge," Sirius answered. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder... I knew him at once... How many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts... To where Harry was..."

"My God," Lupin said softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" Ron asked defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing," said Black.

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple... So brilliant... He cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed. When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself—and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right—"

"Twelve years, in fact," Lupin said evenly. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We—we've been taking good care of him!" Ron insisted.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he? I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was purring on the bed. I wondered vaguely when the cat had arrived.

"Ron, are you mental?" I asked him with a mock-serious tone. "They do have institutions for that." He glared at me. Obviously I wasn't forgiven for "fraternizing with the enemy."

"This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me... Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me…"

"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... So he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me... As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table. But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it. This cat—Crookshanks, did you call him?—told me Peter had left blood on the sheets... I supposed he bit himself... Well, faking his own death had worked once."

"And why did he fake his death?" Ron asked furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed Harry's parents!"

"No," Harry interrupted, "Ron, listen—"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Harry?" Ron asked wildly. "They've come to finish you off! And my rat, for some bizarre reason!"

"Only one out of two, I'm afraid," Black said, with an evil look at Pettigrew.

"We should've let Snape take you!" Ron shouted.

"Don't you see?" Lupin said hurriedly. "All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down—but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father—Sirius tracked Peter down—"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" the furious redhead yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HAVE DONE IT!"

He was pointing at Sirius, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright.

"I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me... I'm to blame, I know it... The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies... I realized what Peter must've done... what I'd done..." His voice broke. He turned away.

"Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice I'd never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Aislynn, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if she gives him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.

"Force him to show himself," Lupin responded. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated, then bowed his head in defeat. I held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready, Sirius?" Lupin questioned, as if they were preparing for a game of Quidditch.

Sirius had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" he asked quietly.

"I think so…" said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One—two—THREE!"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly. Ron yelled. The rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then…

It was like watching a sped-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see." I laughed softly. God, I was insane.

"S—Sirius... R—Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends... My old friends..." He stretched his arms out, and I had to resist the urge to hex them off.

Sirius's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual. "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed—"

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and I could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," Lupin responded, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so—"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Sirius, and he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "Rude," I whispered to Harry, who rolled his eyes and nudged me to be quiet. Pettigrew continued, "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... You've got to help me, Remus..."

Sirius's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Lupin questioned, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Sirius started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he exclaimed.

Pettigrew flinched as though Sirius had swatted at him.

"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Sirius asked with a glimmer of a smirk. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius -" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now. I groaned in disgust.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," Black informed him, as if this was news to him. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter... They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them... I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information... and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter—"

"Don't know what you're talking about...," Pettigrew muttered again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this—this madness, Remus—"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," Lupin replied evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban—the spy, Sirius Black!"

Sirius's face contorted. I grew very scared of him in that instant.

"How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter—I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us... Me and Remus... and James..."

Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath by this point. "Me, a spy... Must be out of your mind... Never... don't know how you can say such a—"

"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. I did as well. "I thought it was the perfect plan... A bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you... It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; I caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy." Was he describing his own story? Well, at least he was being honest with himself.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione spoke up timidly. "Can—can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.

"Well—Scabbers—I mean, this—this man—he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

I slapped my palm to my face. Wasn't the answer obvious?

"There!" exclaimed Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why," Sirius interjected. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for almost fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk. He resembled a fish out of water.

"Er—Mr. Black—Sirius?" said Hermione.

Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

She continued, "If you don't mind me asking, how—how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"

"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I—"

I smacked him in the face, like I'd been longing to do ever since I'd found out who he was. Everyone stared at me, Harry, Sirius, and Lupin barely concealing approving grins. Pettigrew stared at me wildly, fear clouding his leaking eyes. Sirius frowned slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.

"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me... But it kept me sane and knowing who I am... Helped me keep my powers... So when it all became ... Too much... I could transform in my cell... Become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions... They could tell that my feelings were less—less human, less complex when I was a dog... But they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand... But then I saw Peter in that picture... I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry... Perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again..."

Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Sirius as though hypnotized. I raised my hand threateningly again, and his terrified gaze darted to me before returning to Sirius.

"...Ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies... and to deliver the last Potter to them. if he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors... So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive..."

"It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the dementors couldn't destroy it... It wasn't a happy feeling... It was an obsession... But it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused… I was thin, very thin... Thin enough to slip through the bars... I swam as a dog back to the mainland... I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry..."

He looked at Ron and Hermione, who did not look away.

"Believe me," he croaked. "I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

They looked at me and Harry. We both nodded slightly. After glancing back at Sirius, they both nodded their heads.

"No!" Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though the nods had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.

"Sirius—it's me... It's Peter... Your friend... You wouldn't—"

Sirius kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," Sirius hissed.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this! Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin responded calmly. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.

"Forgive me, Remus," Black said.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.

"You wouldn't... You won't..." gasped Pettigrew. He scrambled around to Ron. "Ron... Haven't I been a good friend... A good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you? You're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said. I snickered quietly, despite the utter seriousness of the current situation. This was something to tell the twins later.

"Kind boy... Kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron. "You won't let them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet..."

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Sirius harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girl... Clever girl... You—you won't let them... Help me..."

Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified. I went over to stand beside her, and Pettigrew turned his attention to me.

Pettigrew knelt. "Lovely girl… Pretty girl… Please… Don't let them hurt me…" He grasped my wrist, and before I could react, Harry shot a red light at him. I turned my startled eyes on Harry, who looked mildly confused. Pettigrew turned his attention on him instead.

"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" Sirius roared. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... He would have shown me mercy..."

Both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Sirius yelled, trembling with rage. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord... You have no idea... He has weapons you can't imagine... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me—"

"DON'T LIE!" Sirius bellowed. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He—he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh—what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"Only innocent lives, you lump of dung!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius roared. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall. I wrapped an arm around her and we both bowed our heads.

"NO!" Harry yelled suddenly. I let go of Hermione, spinning around in shock. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Black and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Sirius snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

I realized then that even though Pettigrew was definitely, as Sirius so eloquently put it, a _cringing bit of filth_, Harry was right to keep him alive. Surely his father wouldn't want his friends to become murderers for him?

Harry stared the men down. "The dementors can have him," he demanded. "We'll take him up to the castle and hand him over. He'll go to Azkaban." I nodded in agreement as I stood beside my best friend, taking his hand and standing tall.

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You—thank you—it's more than I deserve—thank you—"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because—I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers—just for you."

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Sirius and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Sirius. "But think... Think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..." He trailed off, and I squeezed his hand comfortingly. He offered me a small smile, which caused an odd flutter in my stomach.

Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, you two."

Harry and I hesitated for a moment. How could we be sure they wouldn't just murder him on the spot?

"I'm going to tie him up," Lupin assured us. "That's all, I swear."

Harry and I stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Sirius, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the pathetic figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him. I glared coldly at the squirming man.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks." Then he looked at me. "Aisy…"

"I know," I said with a tiny smile. "But you understand that I couldn't tell you?"

He sighed. "Yeah, sort of."

"That's good enough for me," I said, beaming. I looked at Hermione, who was staring with fright at Snape's limp form.

"What about Professor Snape?" she squeaked.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," Lupin assured her, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little-overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er—perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safety back in the castle. We can take him like this..." He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," Sirius spoke up, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," said Lupin.

"And me," I added savagely, striding forward.

Sirius conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to my left. Ron's face was cold and indifferent as he limped ahead of us. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, tail sweeping the air happily.

When we got outside, Harry was walking with his godfather, talking seriously to him. I caught a wisp of their conversation… "You know, Harry, I am your godfather…"

"I know."

"So I was thinking, once my name is cleared, since I am your legal guardian, maybe you'd like to live with me… Of course, if you don't want to…"

"Of course I do!"

I beamed, thrilled that life for Harry was getting better. Lupin had his wand trained on Peter. "One wrong move," he hissed threateningly as the nine of us, including Crookshanks and the unconscious Snape, traipsed toward the castle. It was growing slightly larger as we approached it.

Suddenly, a cloud shifted, and a stream of moonlight hit our odd little group. We froze, and simultaneously turned to Lupin. Hermione choked out, "He didn't take his potion! He's not safe!"

My heart stopped. Panic filled me as I realized what was happening. Lupin started to twitch uncontrollably, the clear _human_ alertness leaving his amber eyes as they morphed to those of a predator. His agonized screams echoed over the grounds as his body stretched out sickeningly. Soon enough, a ferocious-looking werewolf stood in his place, with his ravenous eyes on one person:

Me.

"Go!" Sirius yelled, pushing us away. "Run!" He quickly transformed into a huge dog and leapt at Lupin.

Perhaps if he hadn't pushed us away, he'd have gotten there in time. Perhaps if I hadn't been so riveted to the spot by Lupin's transformation, oblivious to Harry tugging on my arm and Hermione's frantic yells, I could have escaped sooner. Perhaps if we'd all just been a bit quicker, Lupin wouldn't have gotten to me.

But he did. As I stood, frozen with fear, the werewolf leapt at me, his jaws hanging open.

I heard dull shrieks of horror, and one of pain. It startled me to realize that the pained yell had come from me as the werewolf's jaws clamped around my shoulder, and I saw no more.

* * *

**My heart broke a little when I wrote this. I'm really sorry, guys.  
**

**Would it help if I told you that she won't die?  
**

**Probably not, right?  
**

**Well, you must hate me by now, so review and tell me how much.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel :c  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Gotcha. c;  
**

* * *

"AISY!" A loud shout sounded in my ears. "RUN, DAMMIT!"

I started, staring around frantically. Lupin and Sirius were tussling ferociously on the ground as Sirius tried to chase the werewolf away. My eyes darted to my shoulder.

No bite.

What the hell just happened?

"AISY!" Harry's voice. I felt his hand pulling frantically on my arm, and deciding to ponder what had just happened later, darted away with him and the others. We ran until we reached the lake, all of us panting. "Harry."

He looked at me. "What?"

"I… I just… I got bit…"

His eyes widened in horror and disbelief. He rushed me. "Where? Where were you bitten?" he asked frantically. Hermione and Ron ran over as well.

I gestured wildly to my shoulder. "Here! It just happened!"

Harry grabbed my shoulder and examined it hurriedly. "Aisy…" he said, his brow furrowed in confusion. "You weren't bitten."

"But…" I frowned too. "I felt it. I felt him bite me. Sirius was too late."

Hermione spoke up. "Uh, Aisy, Sirius attacked him about a second before he could get to you. You just stood there, yelling something."

Harry nodded. "You had a vision of some sort."

"What?" I sputtered. "But my visions are always of the past! And, as far as I know, Lupin has never actually bitten my on the shoulder."

Ron grabbed us. "Now's not the time! We can talk about it later!" he yelled. "Look!" He gestured towards the sky.

I looked up, and my entire body went cold. Hundreds of dementors soared through the sky. Sirius found us then. He was in a panic. "You four need to run! Go to the cast—" A dementor swooped down and touched him; his entire body shuddered and he hit the ground.

I bit back a terrified scream. Then one dementor decided to pay special attention to me. "Aisy!" someone yelled beside me, but all I could hear was the sobbing of a little girl, along with the insane screeches of a mad woman.

"_Mommy…"_

"_He'll kill you all! All of you are going to die—"_

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a glorious white light. I could just make out a pair of antlers, and then everything went dark.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Voices. That's what I heard as soon as I woke up. Snape and… the Minister of Magic?

"Shocking business... Shocking... Miracle none of them died... Never heard the like... By thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..." But the light saved us, with the antlers… That hadn't been the greasy professor, had it?

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wrangle it!" Ha! What did Snape do? NOTHING! Besides try and put innocent men in Azkaban, of course.

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, Domecq, and Granger, Minister..." Good. I hoped he'd be scarred for life, as a reminder of when a few kids overpowered him.

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately." Bewitched us? Please. "A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions." Wait, he wasn't trying to send us to jail as well? I was surprised. "On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape... They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've gotten away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves… And of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster –"

"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... We've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet—is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended—at the very least—for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister—against all school rules—after all the precautions put in place for his protection—out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer—and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too—" That was false. I'd convinced his great oaf of an uncle to sign the form. I may have threatened a little as well, but that's irrelevant.

"Well, well... We shall see, Snape, we shall see... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

Godric, I was tired. My limbs felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Would it be too much to ask to lay here forever and never move again?

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors... You've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister... By the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls—" Where had Ron been?

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. I got this strange feeling in my stomach. Something bad was happening…

I finally opened my eyes, blinking blearily around. I was in the Hospital Wing. I'd figured that out while I'd been listening to the conversation between Snape and Fudge. In the bed next to mine, Madam Pomfrey had her front to me, and she was bending over a bed. Ron was lying in it, pale and unconscious. Worry shot into my stomach as I searched around for my other friends.

At the far end of the ward, I saw Harry. He didn't have his glasses on, and he looked even paler than Ron. In the bed to his right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open. I saw that Harry was awake when he looked at her, pressing a finger to his lips.

Madam Pomfrey now went walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. He turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in my life. It looked like a small boulder. I had yet to eat some. It looked delicious.

Wait, that was not what I should've been focusing on.

She said something to Harry and then placed the chocolate on his bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

Harry and Hermione said something at the same time, and looked worried as Pomfrey answered. Then she placed her hands on her hips, staring straight at Harry.

He was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand. I got up from the bed, avoiding the notice of the two men near me, and walked quickly over to them to see him. He smiled at me, looking relieved, before facing Pomfrey again. "I need to see the headmaster," he said.

Madam Pomfrey looked indignantly at me. "Go lie down, Miss Domecq." I shook my head firmly and sat next to Harry, gripping his hand. I faced her defiantly. She sighed in defeat before looking at Harry once more. "Potter," she said soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now—"

"WHAT?" the three of us yelled. Horror filled my stomach. They were going to end Harry's godfather!

Harry and I jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" demanded Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed—has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"Minister, listen!" Harry said urgently. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's—"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small, pitying smile on his face. "Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOUVE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to my other side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and—"

"You see, Minister?" Snape interrupted smoothly. "Confunded, all three of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED, YOU IDIOT!" I roared. "YOU CALL YOURSELF A PROFESSOR?"

"Minister! Professor!" snapped Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. These children are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"

"We're not distressed, we're trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen—"

But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed. I stifled a laugh. This was not the time for humor. Not when a man's life was at stake.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave," Pomfrey insisted.

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with and got up again. He grabbed mine and Hermione's hands, putting up a united front. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black—"

"For heaven's sake!" Pomfrey cried hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist—"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "Miss Domecq, I'm afraid this won't require your assistance." I opened my mouth indignantly, but closed it at a look from the headmaster. He continued, "I have just been talking to Sirius Black—"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive—"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," Dumbledore interrupted, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" the Potions professor snarled. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear—"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Don't you talk to her like that!" I yelled, furious.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, DOMECQ!"

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young ladies are disturbed in their minds, we must make allowances—"

"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy—please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest—"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat. "The dementors should have arrived by now," he said, sounding darkly excited. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs." He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face. I bristled. How dare Snape question Dumbledore?

"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore. "Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them. Dumbledore looked at me, and I stared defiantly back at him. "I won't get involved with whatever you want them to do," I said, "but I'm going to listen anyway, whether I pry it from them later, or hear it from you now." I smiled sweetly at him. "With the utmost respect, of course," I added.

Dumbledore chuckled, not seeming angry at all. "As you wish, Miss Domecq." He turned to Harry and Hermione. They both burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth—we saw Pettigrew—"

"—he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf—"

"—he's a rat—"

"—Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off—"

"—Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius—"

Dumbledore held up his hand to stop them. "It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word—and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you—" Harry burst. Letting go of his hand, I placed my hand on his arm to shut him up. He let go of Hermione and crossed his arms.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything," responded Dumbledore. "By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little—and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends—"

"But—"

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione cried desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him—"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady—entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife—without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us," I said desperately. It wasn't a question, merely a statement in need of confirmation.

"Yes, I do," the wise old man responded quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic..."

I felt the world falling away under me. Dumbledore had been our last hope. I'd always thought that Dumbledore could do whatever he damn well pleased, but apparently, I'd been wrong.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry, to Hermione, then to me, "is more time."

"But—" Hermione began. Then her eyes widened comically. I stared at her in confusion as she exclaimed, "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly, as if talking to a toddler. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law—you know what is at stake... You. Must. Not. Be. Seen."

What was the old loon talking about? Harry seemed just as confused as I did as he stared wildly between Hermione and Dumbledore.

"I am going to lock you in. It is—" Dumbledore consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry repeated dumbly as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain. I gasped in recognition.

"Harry, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"

Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.

"Here—"

She had thrown the chain around his neck too.

"Ready?" she said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" Harry said, still looking completely lost.

Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.

"Good luck!" I called as they vanished. Suddenly, the Hospital Wing door swung open. Harry and Hermione ran in, panting. I darted over to them and wrapped them both in a hug. "Please tell me you succeeded. Sirius is safe, right?"

They beamed and told me what happened. I was almost in tears by the end of it. Just then, Ron woke up. "What the bloody hell just happened?"

We whirled around to see the redhead sitting up in bed, and then Harry and I exchanged a look. "You tell him," we said to Hermione, and started laughing. She rolled her eyes as she began to explain everything to Ron.

oOoOoOoOoOo

We sat in the compartment on the train ride home. Oh, Snape had been furious. It was glorious to see him fuming. He'd been sure that Harry was at fault, even though there was solid evidence to prove otherwise.

Now that I had time to think, however, I couldn't get my mind off the vision of being bitten I'd had. I only got visions of the past, never something that never happened. I frowned, deep in thought. I regretted forgetting to tell Dumbledore about this.

"Aisy?" Hermione said. I looked up and smiled at her. "What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously.

I sighed and looked out the compartment window. "Just the vision I'd had." I looked at the people gathered in the compartment. Ron had his head tilted to the side as he studied me. Hermione's chocolate eyes were wide. Harry held my gaze. His beautiful emerald colored eyes transfixed me. The expression in them was unreadable. I felt my stomach flip the tiniest bit.

I tore my gaze away from him and sighed again. "Why would I see myself—and _feel _myself—get bitten if it didn't happen? I'm telling you, I saw Lupin fly at me. I felt him sink his teeth into my shoulder—" I shuddered. "—and I saw the blood. I should be a werewolf, but I'm not. It was all some sort of illusion."

"It sounds shifty," Hermione agreed, "but you shouldn't worry about it now. You weren't actually bitten, and that's all that matters."

I nodded my head. "All right." Taking in the slightly worried faces of my best friends in the entire world, I smiled to ease the tension that had settled over the compartment. "How about a game of Gobstones?"

Ron groaned. "I hate that game!"

I smirked at him. "Is it too tough for your puny brain, Ronniekins?"

He glared at me. "You're on."

We laughed and played for the rest of the ride. When the train pulled into the station, I felt my stomach drop.

I'd have to face my father for the first time since I'd gotten away.

Harry seemed to know the reason for my sudden nervousness. "He'll understand, Aisy," he assured me.

Oh, how I wished he was right.

As all the Hogwarts students unloaded, I kept an eye out for the blond head of my tall brother. When I saw him, I waved wildly, grinning. His blue eyes that exactly matched mine glinted at me as he engulfed me into a hug. "Are you okay?" he whispered. Obviously he'd gotten the letter explaining all that had happened.

"I'm fine," I assured him, still smiling brightly. I felt the grin drop when I realized I'd have to face Father soon. "How's Father?"

Ryan smiled sympathetically at me. "He's pretty angry."

Crap. I forced another smile at my brother as he took my hand and we began the trip home. I turned around one last time to wave goodbye to my friends. I'd miss them, but at least I'd still be able to owl them.

As we walked into my modest house, No. 2 Spring Drive, I gulped. Ryan gave me one last smile before heading upstairs to his room. It was time to face the music. "Father?" I called out tentatively.

There was a tense pause, and then my father came into the room from his study. He looked extremely stressed. There were dark bags under his eyes, so he obviously hadn't gotten much sleep since the letter arrived. He hadn't shaven lately, either. His dull grey eyes expressed immense relief, and he rushed to hug me.

"Father?" I said, confused. He should have been angry with me. He should not have been hugging me.

He pulled away and stared me straight in the eye. "Come with me," he said. We entered the kitchen and sat on opposite sides of the table. I waited expectantly.

"All right," he began with a heavy sigh. "I don't like you going to that school."

"But—" I blurted, stopping when he held up a hand.

"However," he continued, "it's obviously incredibly important to you. You wouldn't sneak out without letting me know otherwise." I looked down guiltily. He kept talking. "I was worried, you know."

I sighed heavily, meeting his eyes again. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He nodded. "I know. I forgive you." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to allow you to keep attending that… That school."

I sucked in a breath. Was he serious? Happy tears welled in my eyes. "Thank you so much!" I exclaimed.

He smiled softly at me. "Just please, please be careful, all right, sweetie?" he said quietly, yet urgently. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."

I nodded eagerly, running around the table to hug him. "Thank you so much, Father." I whispered.

He wrapped his large arms around my small body. "I love you, Aisl—Aisy."

I looked up, beaming. He'd never called me Aisy before. "I love you too, Father."

I'd finally reached an understanding with the man who'd distanced himself from me since I was three. I finally had a whole family again, mother or not. That was enough for me.

* * *

**You didn't actually think Aisy would become a werewolf, did you? For shame.**

**Anyway, I hope you're not too pissed that I screwed you up like that. Do you think Aisy's weird little vision was simply formed out of her fear? Or could it mean something? I'm telling nothing. c:  
**

**Anyway, third year is over! Next year is the Triwizard Tournament, the Yule Ball, and more Romione DRAMA. Who's excited?  
**

**Later, losers. Kidding, I love you all! n.n  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Yo, wut it do, muthableepas?**

**Joking. c: I'm feeling rather street today.  
**

**Godric help us all.  
**

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter.  
**

* * *

_Aisy,_

_I can't believe we're going to the Quidditch World Cup! Ireland for the win!_

_I hope your father lets you come. I'm really glad you made up and all, but do you reckon he'll be lenient enough to let you go with us? You know it'll upset Harry if you don't._

_Oh, and me and Hermione, too. Of course._

_Mum says if you don't answer this letter with a yes, we'll come get you ourselves. So answer quickly. Mum is rather excited to see you._

_I've been writing Hermione. I reckon I'm finally making some progress with her._

_Everyone here occasionally talks about something huge that's happening at Hogwarts this year. I honestly don't know if I should be scared or excited. Both, maybe?_

_Write back soon, you loon._

_Hey, that rhymed._

_Ron_

_PS. Hermione's hair is a lot less bushy these days. Have you noticed?_

I put Ron's letter away with a laugh. It was a week before the Cup and I was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. I still couldn't believe that my dad had agreed to let me go. I quickly pulled out a spare bit of parchment and a quill. I heard a faint "Hoo," and looked at Errol, who was face down on my bed. Tutting, I walked over and stroked the poor thing's back.

"Oh, Errol," I sighed. "Perhaps you should stay here for a few days. I'll use Ve. You can leave whenever you want."

"Hoo," Errol replied weakly. I chuckled and went to my desk to write my letter to Ron.

_Ron,_

_Father said yes. I can't believe it either! Although, you know Bulgaria will win. I've been telling you for weeks now, there's no way that Ireland can beat them. Not with Krum! Krum, the man of legends, the seeker of the century!_

_Also, he's got a nice bum. Not that I've been ogling it, or anything. All right, maybe I have. Don't tell Fred and George, they'd never let me live it down._

_You all miss me so terribly, I know. Especially you, right? You've got to get over this mad little obsession with me, Ronniekins. You know we can never be. It's getting pathetic, really. Only joking._

_Hermione will be mad for you one of these days, just you wait. Keep trying, but don't be such a prat all the time. Honestly, Ronnie boy, you're almost as big of a git as Draco Malfoy sometimes. No wait, scratch that. No one is as much of a git as Draco Malfoy. Remember when Hermione punched him? Good times._

_I've heard nothing about some special event this year. Have you owled Hermione about it? She's the knowledgeable one of the Fearsome Foursome. Maybe she knows something. Don't owl Harry, though, he's absolutely useless. Joking! Please don't tell him I said that._

_Floo over here soon as you can, it's dead boring around here. Also, the twins and I need to get together for a, ahem, _meeting _of sorts. Completely serious business, no doubt about that._

_See you soon, nutter._

_Aisy_

_PS. Yes, her hair is rather lovely. Still wild though, but that's the way you like it, isn't it?_

I sealed the letter and attached it to Velox's leg. "To Ron. Fly quickly," I said, and sent her out the window.

Now to wait for my rescuers.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It couldn't have been a couple hours later when I heard two startled yells downstairs from my brother and father. I beamed, grabbed my already-packed trunk and Velox's cage, and rushed down the stairs. The living room was chock full of red hair and freckles. I saw the twins grinning faces and hugged each of them in turn. "All right, Aisy?" they both said.

I saw Ron then and refrained from hugging him. He always found some way to make it awkward. Instead, I high fived him. "How you been, Ronniekins?"

He glared at me playfully. "Fine. How about you, Aislynn?"

I growled before smiling again. "Well played, sir."

Mrs. Weasley then engulfed me into a huge hug. "Aisy! You're so peaky!" She turned to my father, who was standing awkwardly in the corner. Ryan was conversing with Percy. My poor brother. "Have you been feeding this child at all? Look at her! So thin!"

Father cracked a smile. "I've been saving her scrawny little self just for you, Molly." He always had liked Mrs. Weasley. He felt comfortable with her.

She beamed. Then , after exchanging goodbyes with my father and brother, we flooed back to the Burrow.

"Honey, I'm home!" I yelled throughout the house. I inhaled deeply and collapsed onto the floor. "Oh, Godric, I've missed this floor!"

The Weasleys laughed. "Get up, loon," Ron said cheerily, pulling me up by my arm. I swatted his arm, much to everyone's amusement, and we all sat around the table for dinner.

Hermione joined us a few days later. "AISY!" she screamed when she saw me.

"'MIONE!" I screamed right back, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.

She pulled away, still grinning happily. "Where's Harry?"

"He's not here yet," I replied. "We're going to get him the day before the Cup."

She frowned. "That's cutting it awful close, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "Oh well. That's the plan." I finally noticed that she had Crookshanks's cage and her packed trunk with her. "Come on," I chirped. "You're rooming with me and Ginny."

"Sounds great," she responded, smiling. I led her up the stairs and helped her unpack. When we finished, I felt a bit tired. I hadn't gotten much sleep. The blasted ghoul in the attic refused to allow me much rest. I stretched my arms out with a yawn.

"You sound pretty tired," Hermione commented.

I nodded. "I am."

She went to the door and pulled it open, looking downstairs. "Well, it sounds like Mrs. Weasley is cooking," she said, listening to the sound of the Weasley matron muttering various spells and the sound of bumping pots and pans. "Will you be down for dinner?"

"No. Tell her I will be there for breakfast tomorrow, though. I definitely want to come when we're picking up Harry at noon."

She nodded and left, closing the door behind her. I stretched out on my bed near the window. Sleep didn't come to me, though, so I grabbed a book from Hermione's part of the room and checked the title. It was a book I'd never read before, _The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew._

"Oh ho, a book about magic," I said to myself. "Let's see how accurate." I started reading.

Hours passed. Ginny had come up an hour earlier and was now sleeping, but Hermione never came. Frowning, I closed the book, having finished with it, and pulled on a cloak. It was cold in the house, and Ginny stole my extra blanket. I went downstairs.

"Lumos," I whispered to my wand, watching as it lit up at the end. I crept down the stairs as quietly as I could, entered the living room, and came upon an adorable sight.

Hermione and Ron were on the couch, both asleep. She was leaning up against him, her head on his shoulder, and his head was leaning on the top of hers. They both had tiny smiles on their faces. It was all I could do not to go, "Awww…"

I checked the clock on the mantle. One in the morning. I decided to get some sleep so I could be full of energy to welcome Harry to the Burrow. Excitement and something else stirred in my stomach as I thought of my best friend, the boy with the gorgeous green eyes, unruly charcoal-colored hair, and the wire-rimmed glasses that never seemed to want to stay on his face. I covered Ron and Hermione with a blanket that was folded over the back of the couch and climbed upstairs to my room.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I woke up to the sun streaming directly into my eyes. "Blasted ball of fire," I muttered, shielding my eyes from the offending light. I looked around the room. Ginny and Hermione were both gone, their beds made. I didn't think this too odd, since I was always the last one up. Remembering that it was the day I'd see Harry again, a grin spread across my face and I jumped out of bed, pulled some clothes on, and darted downstairs.

"Good morning, everyone!" I yelled happily. Then I stopped short. There was no one in the kitchen. There was a single plate of cold pancakes on the table, and an empty tray on the counter. Apparently, everyone had already eaten.

Frowning, I entered the living room. Hermione and Ginny were laughing together on the couch, but stopped when they saw me. Their expressions changed from gleeful to guilty, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "Where is everyone?"

Ginny gulped and looked away. Hermione smiled weakly at me. "They… Er…"

I advanced on Hermione until my face was inches from hers. "They what?" I asked in a dangerously low voice. She'd better not say what I thought she was going to say…

"They left already."

Oh. No. They. Didn't.

"WHAT?" I yelled furiously. "Why? Didn't you tell Mrs. Weasley I wanted to go?"

"Um…" She leaned away from me. "No."

"Why not? I asked you to! Last night, when you were going down for supper! I told you to tell her!"

"I'm sorry," she said meekly.

Throwing my hands up in frustration, I stomped around the room like a small child who didn't get what they wanted. I plopped down onto an armchair and crossed my arms. I was already being childish, might as well keep it up.

Ginny finally spoke. "We did try to wake you, but you seemed so peaceful. You were smiling. We didn't want to disturb you."

I softened and smiled at my two friends. "All right, I guess I forgive you."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow. "Why did you want to go so badly?"

I frowned, then shrugged. "I don't know."

Hermione smiled then, clapping her hands together once. "Let's do something while we wait."

I shrugged again. "All right, what?"

"Question Game."

Ginny looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

I explained, "The Question Game is a pointless yet fun little game where you ask each other questions. It's a game to sort of get to know each other better. The questions can be anything. If you don't want to answer a question, you simply say, 'Skip.' But don't skip too much, it ruins the fun."

Ginny nodded in understanding, saying, "All right, I'll go first." She looked at Hermione. "Are you interested in my brother, Ron?"

I blinked at her straightforwardness while Hermione sputtered and turned a brilliant red. "Skip," she choked out.

Ginny smirked while I hastened to turn the tables on her. "Ginevra—" She scowled at the use of her name. "—what's your career ambition?"

She thought for a moment. "I want to be on the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team."

Hermione had gained control of herself and was close to her normal skin tone, though she was still a bit pink. "Aisy, what's your favorite color and why?"

"Yellow, because it's the color of sunlight. It's all things bright and happy, and it makes me feel joyful. 'Mione, what do you do when you're sad?"

"I read sad stories, which remind me that I don't have the worst problems in the world. Gin, what kind of ice cream do you prefer?"

"Any kind with strawberries. Aislynn, what did you dream about last night?"

I smiled for a moment, remembering my dream, ignoring the fact that she'd used my hated name. "I was with Ryan and Father. We were walking through the forest, just laughing and being… Well… Happy. Gin, who are you dating?"

Ginny blinked. "How did you know I had a boyfriend?"

"Now, now, Gin, you haven't even answered my question. Who's your one true love?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm dating Michael Corner."

I scoffed. "That wanker? You can do so much better."

She hit me. "Thanks for the support!"

Hermione interceded before I could hit Ginny back. "Are we playing this game or not? Gin, how long have you been dating Michael?"

She bit her lip. "Er, about three months? 'Mione, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue. It's the color of the sky. Aisy, do you fancy Harry?"

"Yes," I answered without thinking. The gleeful looks on my friends' faces made me realize what I said and I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening and my face coloring. "Er—um, I mean… Um, you took me by surprise… I don't…"

The smug looks wouldn't go away. I scowled at them and hung my head. "Only a little."

Ginny and Hermione beamed.

"I KNEW IT!" came a familiar voice from the doorway. I gasped and spun around to see George leaning up against the wall with a satisfied smile on his face. I immediately sprang to my feet, grabbed his arm, and yanked him into the room, closing the door behind him.

Hermione and Ginny were barely stifling laughter as I grabbed George's shoulders. "You can't tell anyone!" I hissed. "Even Fred!"

He put on an expression of mock innocence. "Whatever do you mean?"

I growled. "Don't. Tell. _Anyone. _What. You. Just. Heard. Got it?"

He sighed heavily. "All right, fine. Could you loosen up?"

I gave him one last Aisy-glare before letting him go and stepping back. I faced the two girls laughing on the ground. "Same goes for you two," I hissed menacingly.

They sobered and smiled at me. "Yes, ma'am," they said simultaneously, bursting into laughter once more.

I groaned and rolled my eyes before realizing why George must be home. I spun around yet again and faced him. "Is Harry here?" I asked, not bothering to conceal my excitement.

He grinned cheekily and said, "Yes."

I let out a squeal, ignoring the laughter of the three people behind me, and dashed down the stairs. Mrs. Weasley was bustling about the kitchen, fixing lunch, with Mr. Weasley attempting to converse with her. Fred was nowhere in sight, and I hoped to Merlin that he hadn't overheard my conversation with the people in my room. Ron was eating (no surprise there) but Harry wasn't in the kitchen. I walked into the living room, where he was lounging on the couch. When he saw me, he grinned widely and stood, his arms already opening.

"Harry!" I exclaimed, running into his arms and squeezing him. He laughed a little breathlessly.

"Hi there."

We pulled away and plopped onto the couch. I ignored the way my heart was beating after he'd hugged me. "It's been, like, a billion years or something!"

He chuckled again. "It's only been a couple months, Aisy."

"Whatever," I responded, rolling my eyes. "Point is, I've missed you! And you haven't been writing me much."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I didn't get much opportunity. The Dursleys were working me a lot this summer."

I frowned at the mention of his family. They disgusted me with the way they treated him, as if he was their slave and not their own flesh and blood. I cleared my face and brought out my wand, twirling it. "Maybe I could pop over and teach them a lesson?" I suggested cheerily.

"No," he laughed, pushing my wand down. "Thanks though," he added.

"Not a problem, my friend, not at all."

He changed the subject. "Everyone keeps going on about some huge, special event at Hogwarts this year and it's driving me mad not knowing what they're talking about. Please tell me you know something."

"No, sorry," I sighed. "I was really hoping you might know something."

"How long have you been up?" he asked.

"About an hour now. It's dead boring without you around."

He looked at me questioningly. "Even with the twins? And Ron and Hermione?"

I shrugged and leaned back against the couch with my eyes closed. "You're fun to be around."

There was a pause. Then he said, "I missed you."

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "I missed you too." He was looking over at the doorway to the kitchen, where some Weasleys and Hermione were now eating. I leaned over, intending to give him a friendly peck on the cheek.

Suddenly, he turned at the very last second. He looked like he was about to ask me something when our lips met briefly. Both of us immediately jerked back with startled yelps. His face was a brilliant red, and my face was so hot I'm sure it looked the same.

We tried to explain ourselves at the same time. "Oh my Godric, I'm so sorry, I was just going to ask you—"

"No, I mean, I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry—"

We stopped and looked away from each other for a long, awkward moment. Ron and Hermione came in then, laughing. When they saw our red faces and awkward glances, they stopped abruptly. Ron spoke first. "What happened here?"

"Nothing!" Harry and I yelled at the same time. Unable to face the suspicious looks of my friends and the awkwardness of my little moment with Harry, I sprang up from the couch and ran up to my room.

Sitting on my bed, I buried my still-burning face in my hands. What the hell had just happened? Had I seriously just kissed Harry, albeit unintentionally?

… And had I really enjoyed it?

* * *

**Whoa-ho. Okay then. That was out of nowhere.  
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**Ahh fluff. I do so enjoy it.  
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**I also enjoy ice cream. It's amazing.  
**

**Review review review! It'll take thirty seconds, tops!  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hi guys.  
**

**I know I've been a while, but my best friend died recently. I spent forever thinking of something to say at his funeral, and I'm just so depressed nowadays I can't really write much.  
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**On a happier note, this story hit 50 reviews! Thanks everyone, I love you all so much! :D  
**

**So here, your much-delayed chapter.  
**

**Enjoy.  
**

* * *

"Well, have a lovely time," Mrs. Weasley called after us, "and behave yourselves. I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy along around midday," she said to Mr. Weasley, as he, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and I set off across the dark yard after Fred and George.

It was incredibly early in the morning. It was cool, and I shivered slightly. Harry was walking with Mr. Weasley. I didn't bother to listen to his conversation, instead falling back to walk with Ron and Hermione. Things were still a bit awkward, but they were getting back to normal. We'd already apologized and everything.

"'Mione, are you already getting tired?" I asked the curly-headed brunette, who was already starting to pant slightly.

"No!"

"At least we're not at the hill yet," Ron said, pointing ahead of us at Stoatshead Hill. Hermione failed to stifle a groan and Ron and I snickered.

We started climbing said hill not too long after that, and I stumbled on pretty much every hidden rabbit hole, much to the amusement of my friends. When we finally reached flat level, I let out an audible sigh of relief and wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground.

"Whew," Mr. Weasley breathed. "Well, we've made good time—we've got ten minutes." The man cleaned his glasses on his shirt before putting them back on and squinting around at the ground. "Now we just need the Portkey. It won't be big... Come on..."

"What's a Portkey?" I asked curiously.

Harry explained, "A Portkey is just an enchanted object that takes you to a predestined place."

"Oh." We spread out, looking for it for a couple of minutes, when we all heard a shout.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."

Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.

"Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of us followed.

Mr. Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand. Mr. Weasley turned and smiled at all of us. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

Cedric looked like he would be in his seventh year, with shaggy brown hair. I supposed he was handsome, but I was more into black hair. Ahem. Cedric was on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at Hogwarts, I knew that much.

"Hi," Cedric said, looking around at us. We all said hi back, except for the twins, who just nodded stiffly. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating Gryffindor in the first Quidditch match of the previous year. I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked.

"Not too bad," answered Mr. Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?" Amos nudged his son, who just looked away. "I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still... Not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy..." Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and me. "All these yours, Arthur?"

"Oh no, only the redheads, " Mr. Weasley replied, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's—and Harry and Aisy, more friends—"

"Merlin's beard," Amos interrupted, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Er—yeah," mumbled Harry. I tensed up, ready to take the attention off of Harry, who never enjoyed it.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," the man said jovially. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said, 'Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... You beat Harry Potter!'"

Tensing up even more, I eyed the twins, who were scowling at the man, and Cedric, who looked quite embarrassed. If Amos kept going any more, I would have to say something…

"He fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric put in, trying to steer the conversation away from the direction it was headed in. "I told you it was an accident."

"Oh, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman... But the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

I'd had enough. "All right, listen here, you—" I began loudly, but Harry yanked my arm and pulled me back before I could advance on the man. Amos looked shocked at my outburst, while Cedric looked as if he was trying to hold in a laugh. Ron and the twins were grinning at me, while Hermione looked rather scandalized. Someday I'd have to teach her to stand up to authority.

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley interjected, pulling out his watch. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," Amos answered, getting over his shock. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," Mr. Weasley responded. "Yes, it's a minute off... We'd better get ready..." He looked around at Harry, Hermione, and me. "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do—"

It was difficult for the ten of us to crowd around the moldy boot, what with our bulky booksacks, but we managed to all put a finger on it. Mr. Weasley kept an eye on his watch. "Three—two—one!"

It felt as if someone had gone fishing and missed, instead landing the hook in my navel and yanking me forward. It wasn't exactly painful, just exceedingly uncomfortable. We were all swirling forward in a whirlwind of color, and I was surprised that my finger remained on the finger. Suddenly, my belly hit the ground first, knocking the wind out of me. I lay in pain for a few moments before I drew in a great, shuddering breath. I looked around. Everyone else was on the ground, except for Amos and Cedric, who both looked windswept but otherwise fine. Harry's glasses had broken.

I pointed my wand at him and said, "Oculus Reparo." He smiled his thanks and got up, helping me to my feet as well. "You break your glasses far too often," I told him.

"Don't I?" he said.

Everyone else was struggling to their feet, looking gobsmacked. I hoisted up Hermione, while Harry helped Ron. Then some voice said, "Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill."

We'd arrived on some sort of misty moor. Two wizards were looking at us expectantly. They wore all sorts of muggle clothing items. The first man wore a tweed suit with knee-high galoshes, while the second man wore a kilt and a poncho. I was unable to stifle my giggles, but luckily, they didn't notice me.

"Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley.

"Hello there, Arthur," Basil replied wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some... We've been here all night... You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite... Weasley… Weasley..." He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory... Second field... Ask for Mr. Payne."

"Thanks, Basil," Mr. Weasley said, setting off. The rest of us followed him.

After twenty minutes of walking through the thick mist, we came to a small stone cottage next to a gate. Bidding goodbye to the Diggory's, we approached a man, who was obviously a muggle.

"Morning!" said Mr. Weasley brightly.

"Morning," the man responded, sounding a bit tired.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?"

"Aye, I would," Mr. Roberts replied. "And who're you?"

"Weasley… Two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

"Aye." Mr. Roberts checked a piece of paper in his hand. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

"That's it."

"You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr. Roberts.

"Ah—right—certainly—" Mr. Weasley said. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned me toward him. "Help me, Aisy," he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. "This one's a ten? Ah yes, I see the little number on it now...So this is a five?"

"A twenty," I corrected him in an undertone. I could sense the muggle watching us curiously.

"Ah yes, so it is... I don't know, these little bits of paper..."

"You foreign?" Mr. Roberts questioned as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes.

"Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, sounding puzzled.

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley asked nervously. This time, I could stifle the snickers threatening to escape me.

Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change. "Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up..."

"Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.

"Aye," the muggle said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."

"Shouldn't he?" Mr. Weasley asked anxiously. I exchanged an amused glance with Harry and Hermione.

"It's like some sort of... I dunno... Like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party."

At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door. My eyes widened. What was he thinking, Apparating in front of a muggle?

"Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts. Oh.

Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a look of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. He'd obviously had his memory modified.

"A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. "And your change."

"Thanks very much," Mr. Weasley replied, still sounding uneasy.

The wizard in plus-fours accompanied us toward the gate to the campsite. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." He Disapparated.

"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near muggles, shouldn't he?"

"He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading us through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit... Well.. Lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

After traversing through hundreds of tents, we finally reached a small area at the edge of the wood with a sign that read: WEEZLY. I couldn't help it; I burst into laughter at the absurd misspelling of their name.

"Right," Mr. Weasley said excitedly, ignoring my outburst, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult... Muggles do it all the time... Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

I knew for a fact Harry had never been camping before. He looked at me for help, but I shrugged. I'd never camped before either. Hermione, however, often told me about the camping trips she took with her parents, so I beckoned to her. The three of us together worked out where most of the flagpoles should go. Mr. Weasley was overly excited, which made him more of a hindrance than a help, but eventually we managed to erect the shabby two-man tents. We all stood back to admire our handiwork.

I noticed that the tents would never house all of us. My brow furrowed as I once more exchanged glances with Harry and Hermione, who looked as confused as me. Mr. Weasley dropped on his hads and knees and climbed into the first tent.

"We'll be a bit cramped," he called, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look."

Curiously, I crawled into the tent with Mr. Weasley. My jaw dropped as I looked all around. Harry and Hermione looked equally flabbergasted, but Ron seemed completely unimpressed.

We had crawled into what looked like an old three-bedroom flat, along with a bathroom and kitchen. I couldn't believe that the shabby tent could house this much space. I grinned at my muggle-raised friends. "I love magic."

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was about noon by now. Ludo Bagman was happily conversing with Mr. Weasley. I stood off to the side with Hermione. Ron and Harry were with Mr. Weasley and Bagman and the twins, who were gambling. Typical.

"What's up with you and Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

I immediately turned a bright red. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, my voice a bit higher than normal.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You both have been acting weird around each other lately. What happened that night when you were in the Burrow living room and Ron and I came down?"

I sighed and looked away, instead staring out at all the shabby tents. "I kissed him."

I heard her gasp and looked at her. Her eyes were wide and her jaw had dropped. "You _what?" _she squealed.

I quickly shushed her, clapping a hand over her mouth. The twins and Ron and Harry were looking over at us curiously. "It meant nothing!" I hissed. "It was an accident! I was leaning over to give him a _friendly_ peck on the cheek and he turned his head to ask me a question!"

She waited patiently for me to take my hand off her mouth. "This is awesome!" she whispered.

"What's awesome?" Ron asked, coming over with Harry in tow.

"Nothing!" I said quickly. I exchanged a quick, meaningful look with Harry. After a moment of confusion, his eyes widened slightly as he realized what we'd been talking about. Ron saw this and raised his eyebrows. "What happened?"

"Er—" Harry grabbed Ron's arm, stealing his attention away. I heard Bagman laugh and saw him walk off, so I beckoned to the others, my face still a brilliant red. We followed Mr. Weasley to our seats.

"Wow," I breathed, looking out over the railing. We were in the top box, where the Minister of Magic himself would be shortly. We were so high up! "We'll be able to see everything from up here!"

"I know!" Ron said happily. He was excitedly peering out at all the spectators.

"Come on," Hermione said, pulling the both of us to our seats.

I was seated directly between Harry and Fred. When I sat down, I leaned toward the redhead. "What's this I hear about gambling?"

He grinned and exchanged a look with his twin, who was on his other side. "Just a friendly little wager with Ludo Bagman."

"What's the wager?" I asked. Surely these idiots weren't stupid enough to bet—

"We bet that Krum would catch the snitch, but Ireland would win."

They were. I clapped a palm to my forehead. "You're not going to win. That bet is much too specific."

Fred merely kept grinning. "Oh, I don't think so. You'll see."

I rolled my eyes with a sigh. "Whatever you say." Then the players from both teams started zooming out, so I turned my attention to the field.

When the veela started dancing, I looked at Harry. He looked transfixed, his eyes glued to the dancing women. I felt jealousy stirring in my stomach. I glared at him and hit his arm, causing him to start and look at me in obvious bewilderment. "Snap out of it," I snapped.

He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of his trance, and smiled meekly at me. I merely huffed and looked back at the field. Leprechauns were flying around in the sky, dumping gold over everyone. Ron was the first one out of his seat, grabbing as many coins as he could. Not bothering to get up, I simply took the coins that were nearest me. Ron dumped a bunch of gold on Harry and grinned. "This is to make up for the Omnioculars," he said. "Now you've got to get me a Christmas present!"

Harry and I laughed. "Will do," the green-eyed boy said.

Then the game started and we turned to watch.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The game ended exactly as Fred and George said it would. Ireland won, but Krum caught the snitch. As they went to collect their winnings from Bagman, who reluctantly paid up, I stood to the side with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"That was awesome!" Ron yelled.

I clapped my hands over my ears and gave him an annoyed glance. "Could you stop shouting? We're right here."

He grinned sheepishly.

"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George as we all made our way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.

"Don't worry, Dad," Fred said gleefully, "we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."

Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know. Wise choice, I thought.

We were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to the campsites. Leprechauns kept shooting over our heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. When we finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that we could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in. We were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone go to bed. Hermione, Ginny, and I went into the next tent.

"Good night," Ginny mumbled sleepily, climbing into the top bunk of one of the beds and falling asleep. Hermione took the bottom, while I took the bottom of the other bed.

"I don't think I could sleep at all," I said happily. I was still full of energy from the action-packed match.

"Me neither," Hermione responded, bouncing up and down.

"I thought you weren't a big Quidditch girl?" I questioned with a sly smile.

"I'm not, but—" She was interrupted when a sudden loud bang was heard outside our tent. Ginny shot up, now wide awake.

Mr. Weasley barged into our tent, an alarmed expression on his face. "Get up, you three," he said urgently. "Something's happened. We've got to go."

"What happened?" I asked in a panic.

He looked very grim. "Death Eaters."

* * *

**Whoa-ho, suspense!**

**Look out for the next chapter within the week.  
**

**Also, I've recently joined the world of Pottermore! I'm a Ravenclaw, of course. My name is KeyWolf1121, so add me. c:  
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**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
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	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello, loves. Two updates in two days, aren't you lucky?  
**

**I think you'll be rather fond of this chapter. Winky face :D  
**

**I realize I could have just type something like c; but I felt like saying, "Winky face."  
**

**So there.  
**

* * *

It was chaos outside. People running and screaming, mothers yelling for their lost children, fathers gathering the rest of their families. Mr. Weasley and Ginny were almost immediately separated from us by the crowd. I felt my heart hammering in my chest as Hermione grabbed my hand. "There's Ron!" she yelled. "Come on!"

People storming in between us made it hard to hold on to her hand. "I can't!" I cried. "I have to find Harry!"

She shook her head frantically. "Aisy, we can find him as soon as we get Ron!"

Suddenly she was ripped from my grasp. "Aisy!" she screamed as the many panicking people carried her away.

"Hermione!" I yelled, knowing it was fruitless. Then I was knocked to the ground by a particularly large man, who didn't stop. I managed to keep from being trampled by pulling myself into a small alcove formed by rubble. I had to find Harry. Please, please let him be safe, I thought worriedly. Please let him and all the rest of them be safe.

Finally, I saw what everyone was freaking out about. A hundred or so masked figures in black cloaks were cavorting through the fields. Raucous laughter came from the group. That wasn't really what terrified me though.

What mortified me was the fact that they had a family of muggles in the air above them, being contorted into grotesque shapes, like marionette puppets being controlled by a toddler. I clapped a hand to my mouth as I looked on in horror, wishing to help but knowing I could do nothing.

I had to find Harry.

* * *

Harry's POV:

"AISY!" I yelled. Ron, Hermione, and I had reached the nearby woods, and Ron and Hermione were now frantically searching for Mr. Weasley and the rest of them. I, however, needed to find my best friend, who I was pretty much in love with.

I mean, who I thought was… You know, pretty cool. Yeah.

Suddenly, Ron yelled in pain.

"What happened?" Hermione asked anxiously, stopping so abruptly that I walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid—Lumos!"

"Tripped over a tree root," Ron said angrily, getting to his feet from the sprawled out position he'd been in.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind us.

Ron and Hermione turned sharply while I continued searching for Aisy, as if she might be hiding in bushes. Draco Malfoy was undoubtedly the one who'd spoken, but I couldn't bring myself to care. As I yelled, "AISY!" over and over again, however, I did hear their conversation.

Ron told Malfoy to do something that I knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.

"Language, Weasley. Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?" Malfoy.

A blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around us.

"AISY!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione, sounding defiant.

"Granger, they're after muggles. D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around... They're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh." Malfoy, sounding snarky.

"Hermione's a witch." Ron, sounding venomous.

"Have it your own way, Weasel. If you think they can't spot a mudblood, stay where you are." Malfoy.

"AISY!"

"You watch your mouth!" Ron.

"Never mind, Ron." Hermione, sounding anxious once more.

There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything we had heard. I grew more frantic as I darted away from my friends, oblivious to their yells.

I was going to find Aisy if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

Aisy's POV:

Shivering in my tiny hidey-hole, I felt like the world's biggest coward. The group of masked villains was passing by me now, but luckily, they seemed unaware of my presence. I supposed that these people were what Mr. Weasley had called "Death Eaters." Whatever that meant.

My fear grew with each passing second. Suddenly, several gasps and small shrieks came from the Death Eaters. Several of them were looking and pointing upward. Managing to clear a hole in the ceiling of my hiding place, I peered at the dark sky.

The strangest symbol was forming in the air. It was a giant skull, with a sake slithering out of its mouth. My heart dropped into my stomach, even though I didn't know what the symbol was. The Death Eaters scattered, Disapparating. I took my opportunity and scrambled out of the alcove.

"AISY!" I whipped around at the familiar voice that made my heart soar.

"Harry," I whispered.

He was pulling tents away from each other and looking under various items for me. I felt my chest tighten with so much emotion I couldn't identify. I found my voice. "HARRY!"

His head snapped up and his eyes met mine. Within seconds I found myself in his arms, mine wrapped tightly around his chest. He kept murmuring my name over and over into my hair, while I just buried my face into the crook of his neck. Tears were streaming down my face, but they were more from relief than anything. Harry was alive. Harry was okay.

Finally I pulled away. "Where are the others?" I asked worriedly.

He took my hand and pulled me to the nearby woods. Eventually, we found Ron and Hermione, looking scared, yet relieved at the sight of us. Harry and I ran towards our friends, but before we had taken a few hurried steps, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them.

Harry whirled around, and in an instant, he had me behind his back, his arms outspread to shield me from any harm. Every wizard had a wand out, and they were pointing straight at the four of us.

"DUCK!" Harry yelled.

He seized us and pulled us down onto the ground.

"STUPEFY!" twenty voices roared. There was a blinding series of flashes, and Harry moved so that he was effectively shielding me once more. In any other situation, I would've pushed him off, laughing awkwardly, but I knew there was nothing funny about this.

"Stop!" yelled a voice I recognized. "STOP! That's my son!" I lifted my head and saw Arthur Weasley's anxious face. "Are you four okay?" he asked frantically.

"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice. It was Mr. Crouch. He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on us. Harry got to his feet to face them. Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage. I quickly joined Harry, taking his hand. He squeezed my fingers briefly, and I felt comforted.

"Which of you did it?" Crouch snapped, his sharp eyes darting between them. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do that!" Harry protested. Absentmindedly, it seemed, he pushed me so that he was slightly in front of me. Once again, I didn't push him away.

"We didn't do anything!" Ron added vehemently. "What did you want to attack us for?"

"Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping . He looked absolutely mad. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Barty," whispered a witch from the front of the group, "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to do it."

"Where did the Mark come from, you three?" Mr. Weasley asked quickly.

"Over there," Hermione said shakily, pointing at a place over near a clump of dark trees. I looked over and examined the area curiously. So Hermione and Ron had been here when it happened? "There was someone behind the trees… They shouted words—an incantation—"

"Oh, stood over there, did they?" Mr. Crouch barked, turning his wide eyes on Hermione now, disbelief etched all over his face. "Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy—"

What the hell was a Dark Mark? I deduced that it must be the weird skull and snake I'd seen in the sky, the one that chased all the Death Eaters away.

Fortunately, none of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr. Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Ron or Hermione had conjured the skull; on the contrary, at Hermione's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction she had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.

"We're too late," said the witch who'd spoken earlier, shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."

"I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. My lip curled, but I remained silent. "Our Stunners went right through those trees… There's a good chance we got them…"

"Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Amos squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared into the darkness. I watched him vanish, feeling tension spread through me. Harry must've felt me stiffen, because he brought me closer to him and squeezed my hand.

A few seconds later, we heard Amos shout, "Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's—but—blimey…)

"You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"

We heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Amos reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms.

I recognized it at once. Up in the box where our seats had been, Hermione had been conversing with a tiny house elf who belonged to Mr. Crouch. The elf's name was Winky. I heard Hermione gasp and managed to stifle one of my own.

Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Amos deposited his elf on the ground at his feet. The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch. For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again. "This—cannot—be," he said jerkily. "No—" He moved quickly around Amos and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky.

"No point, Mr. Crouch," Amos called after him. "There's no one else there."

But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. I heard him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching. Somehow I knew he'd find no one.

"Bit embarrassing," Amos said grimly, looking down at Winky's unconscious form. "Barty Crouch's house-elf… I mean to say..."

"Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "you don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."

"Yeah," Amos replied, "and she had a wand."

"What?" Mr. Weasley asked, seeming quite taken aback.

"Here, look." Amos held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley. "Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start. No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand."

Just then there was another pop, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley. I kept myself from groaning. I'd taken a dislike to the man, though I couldn't pinpoint why. Looking breathless and disorientated, Bagman spun on the spot, goggling upward at the emerald-green skull in the sky. "The Dark Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky as he turned inquiringly to his colleagues. "Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"

Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and his toothbrush mustache were both twitching.

"Where have you been, Barty?" Bagman asked. "Why weren't you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat too—gulping gargoyles!" Bagman had just noticed Winky lying at his feet. "What happened to her?"

"I have been busy, Ludo," Mr. Crouch said, still talking in the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips. "And my elf has been stunned."

"Stunned? By you lot, you mean? But why—?" Comprehension dawned suddenly on his face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky, and then at Mr. Crouch in utter disbelief. "No!" he gasped. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand, for a start!"

"And she had one," Amos put in. "I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."

Crouch gave no sign that he had heard Amos, but the latter seemed to take his silence for assent. He raised his own wand, pointed it at Winky, and said, "Ennervate!"

The elf stirred feebly. Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked several times in a bemused sort of way. Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position. She then caught sight of Amos's feet, and slowly, tremulously, raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Harry could see the floating skull reflected twice in her enormous, glassy eyes. She gave a gasp, looked wildly around the crowded clearing, and burst into terrified sobs.

"Elf!" Amos began sternly.

"She has a name!" I shouted indignantly. Hermione shot me a grateful look, while Amos simply ignored me. It appeared that he disliked me as much as I disliked him.

Amos kept glaring at Winky. "Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"

Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts. My stomach clenched. The poor little house-elf looked so vulnerable. I just wanted to hug her and shield her from any threats.

"As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago," Amos growled. "And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"

"I—I—I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped. "I is not knowing how, sir!"

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" barked Amos, brandishing it in front of her. And as the wand caught the green light that was filling the clearing from the skull above, Harry seemed to recognize it.

"Hey—that's mine!" he said Everyone in the clearing looked at him. I gulped. What had he just gotten himself into?

"Excuse me?" Amos sputtered incredulously.

"That's my wand!" Harry said. "I dropped it!"

"You dropped it?" repeated Amos in disbelief. "Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"

"Oh, you did NOT just accuse Harry of this," I spat furiously, striding forward. Harry yanked me back—It seemed he did this often—as I glared daggers at Amos. "You foul, conniving—"

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" Mr. Weasley interrupted, very angrily. "Is Harry Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"

"Er—of course not," mumbled Amos, who, once again, had ignored me. I was getting really sick of the man. "Sorry… Got carried away…"

"Damn right, you did," I said angrily.

"I didn't drop it there, anyway," Harry added, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull. "I missed it right after we got into the wood."

"So," Amos said, his eyes hardening as he turned to look at Winky again, cowering at his feet. "You found this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. "I is... I is... I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, i is not knowing how!"

"It wasn't her!" Hermione interjected suddenly. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same. I felt a swell of pride for my best girl friend. "Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked at Ron, appealing for his support. "It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"

"No," Ron affirmed, shaking his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf. It was a human voice."

"Well, we'll soon see," Amos growled, looking unimpressed. "There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?"

Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Amos raised his own wand again and placed it tip to tip with Harry's.

"Prior Incantato!" he roared.

I heard Hermione gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell. I felt a small tremor of fear as I gazed at it.

"Deletrius!" Amos shouted, and the smoky skull vanished in a wisp of smoke. "So," he said with a kind of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking convulsively.

"I is not doing it!" she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror. "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"

"You've been caught red-handed, elf!" Amos roared. "Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!"

"Amos," Mr. Weasley interjected loudly, "think about it… Precious few wizards know how to do that spell… Where would she have learned it?"

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," Mr. Crouch spoke up, cold anger in every syllable, "that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

There was a deeply unpleasant silence. Amos looked horrified. I felt almost smug at the look on his face. "Mr. Crouch… Not… Not at all."

"You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark!" barked Mr. Crouch. "Harry Potter—" I squeezed Harry's hand and gave him a small smile when he looked at me. "—and myself. I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?"

"Of course—everyone knows—" muttered Amos, looking highly discomforted.

"And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.

"Mr. Crouch, I—I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos muttered again, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.

"If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch. "Where else would she have learned to conjure it?"

"She—she might've picked it up anywhere—"

"Precisely, Amos," Mr. Weasley interrupted. "She might have picked it up anywhere… Winky?" he said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he too was shouting at her. "Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"

Winky was twisting the hem of her tea towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers. "I—I is finding it… Finding it there, sir…" she whispered, "There… In the trees, sir."

"You see, Amos?" Mr. Weasley said, in a placating tone. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."

"But then, she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" said Amos impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"

Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggory, to Ludo Bagman, and onto Mr. Crouch. Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir… No one…"

"Amos," said Mr. Crouch curtly, "I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her."

Amos looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion at all, but it was fairly obvious that Mr. Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him.

"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.

"M-m-master…" Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears. "M-m-master, p-p-please…"

Mr. Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze. "Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," he said slowly. "I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me. This means clothes."

"No!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr. Crouch's feet. "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"

My heart sank for the poor little elf. I knew that the only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments. It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet. I couldn't take it.

"But she was frightened!" I burst out angrily, glaring at Mr. Crouch. "Your elf was scared, and those wizards in masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"

Mr. Crouch took a step backward, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she were something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes. "I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me," he said coldly, looking over at me. I shivered at the look in his eyes. "I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."

Winky was crying so hard that her sobs echoed around the clearing. There was a very nasty silence, which was ended by Mr. Weasley, who said quietly, "Well, I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections. Amos, that wand's told us all it can—if Harry could have it back, please—"

Amos handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.

"Come on, you four," Mr. Weasley said quietly. But Hermione didn't seem to want to move; her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf. "Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, more urgently. She turned and followed Harry, Ron, and I out of the clearing and off through the trees.

"What's going to happen to Winky?" she asked anxiously, the moment we had left the clearing.

"I don't know," Mr. Weasley responded, sounding slightly sad.

"The way they were treating her!" she said furiously. "Mr. Diggory, calling her 'elf' all the time… And Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was—it was like she wasn't even human!"

"Well, she's not," said Ron. I groaned quietly and clapped my palm to my forehead. Great move, Weasley.

Hermione rounded on him, just like I expected her to. "That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron. It's disgusting the way—"

"Hermione, I agree with you," said Mr. Weasley quickly, beckoning her on, "but now is not the time to discuss elf rights. I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the others?"

"We lost them in the dark," Ron answered. "Dad, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?"

"I'll explain everything back at the tent," the man responded tensely.

But when we reached the edge of the wood, our progress was impeded. A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards was congregated there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley coming toward them, many of them surged forward.

"What's going on in there?"

"Who conjured it?"

"Arthur—it's not—Him?"

"Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently. "We don't know who it was; it looks like they Disapparated. Now excuse me, please, I want to get to bed."

oOoOoOoOoOo

On September 1st, the four of us sat in an empty compartment alone on the Hogwarts Express. I sat next to Harry on one side. Ron and Hermione were both dozing on the other side of the compartment, resting up against each other. I looked over at Harry, noticing he seemed distracted.

"What's up?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Just wondering what the huge event is."

I sighed. "I really wish they'd have told us instead of giving us all those cryptic answers."

He smiled crookedly, and I got butterflies. I loved that smile.

I shifted my position so that I was leaning my head up against his shoulder. He absentmindedly put an arm around me. "Are you tired?" he asked.

I bit my lip, glad he couldn't see my blush. "Yeah, sure." Really, I was just enjoying being close to him.

"Go to sleep then," he said. "I'll wake you when we get there."

"Okay," I replied. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent. He smelled like… baking. I liked it. I found myself actually growing sleepy, and as I drifted off I whispered something, though I wasn't sure what…

* * *

Harry's POV:

I froze, my heart pounding. Aisy's steady breathing told me she was fast asleep. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. I looked down at her, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Light freckles dusting her cheeks and nose, slight smile gracing her lips, her long eyelashes brushing her cheeks. She was perfect, and she'd just unwittingly uttered something that I'd been dying to hear since I'd fallen for her.

"I love you."

* * *

**Oh goodness.**

**Told you you'd like this.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello my friends!**

**Look, it's another chapter, because I love you so much.  
**

**Have fun!  
**

* * *

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year."

We were sitting in the Great Hall after the Sorting. Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the silent Hall. I listened intently as always as he continued, "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped next to me. I looked at Fred and George, who were also on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and saw that they were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"

At that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. I whipped around in my seat, my mind going back to Quirrell, running along the tables, yelling, "Troll! Troll in the dungeon!" Then he'd fainted, which I still found funny.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. I felt pressure building in my head. "Shit," I hissed to myself. "Not now! Not in front of everybody." I watched as the stranger lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, and began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. I watched him, the vision coming close to overtaking me. I fought valiantly. The stranger reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. A flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. I heard Hermione gasp.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any I'd ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by a particularly disturbed child. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye—and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all we could see was whiteness. I let out a pained gasp as the vision overtook me.

"_Master," a shrouded man said, his voice reverent. The man was knelt before a fluffy armchair, the occupant of which I could not see. The man lowered his hood, and his face was full of awe. Then I heard a strange, snakelike voice._

"_Have you gotten the hair?"_

"_Yes, my Lord," the kneeling man said, his voice full of eagerness. He took a dark hair out of his pocket and dropped it into a canister. Shaking it up a bit, he looked to the unseen occupant of the chair for permission._

_The snake voice hissed, "Go on."_

_The man tipped the liquid of the canister into his mouth. At once, his face began to bubble… To change…_

"Aisy," a voice whispered urgently, full of worry. I felt sweat drip down my face and opened my eyes to see Harry's concerned ones. He looked immensely relieved as I stopped shivering. I gave him a half-smile and looked up to see how far the stranger had gotten.

I must not have been missing in action long, for he reached Dumbledore as I watched him. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words I couldn't quite make out. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised one to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared the sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody." I raised my eyebrows. What an interesting choice.

It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. Deciding that it had been quiet too long, I stood and clapped my hands loudly. Dumbledore smiled at me and restarted his applause, followed, albeit halfheartedly, by the rest of the Hall. When we finished, I sat again.

"Thank you, Miss Domecq, for your enthusiasm," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling at me.

Professor Moody seemed completely indifferent. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a swig from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and I saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. I nudged Harry and pointed subtly at it. He and I exchanged curious looks.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.

Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. As I laughed, I slapped Fred on the back. "Shut it, wanker, he's trying to talk!"

Fred ignored me, still staring dumbstruck at Dumbledore.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," the latter said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. I smirked, amused.

"Er—but maybe this is not the time… No…" said Dumbledore. "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities -until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another. I was simply curious about what happened if you won the tournament.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, I could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. "

The Hall erupted into angry yells. I was incensed as well, for I was a fairly talented witch and felt that I could stand a chance in the tournament. "Rubbish!" I yelled, along with the now-furious Weasley twins.

"This—" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people other than us had made noises of outrage at these words. "—is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over to me and the twins. Typical. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

"Bonkers!" I raged as I walked with my three best friends. "Absolutely stark raving mad! Just because I'm only fourteen does not mean I can't handle myself in dangerous situations!"

"Is that what you did after the Quidditch World Cup?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence. "'Handled yourself?' Because according to what Harry told me, you were hiding."

"Shut it," I growled. I didn't need reminding of that event.

"We saw some Beauxbatons girls in the woods then, Hermione and I," Ron said. "They were gorgeous…"

Hermione looked quite annoyed as we reached the common room. I immediately bumped some second years out of our couch. They got up, looking distinctly ruffled, and stomped away.

"Aisy!" Hermione admonished as she, Harry, and Ron plopped onto the couch with me.

"What?" I widened my eyes, putting on my best innocent face.

"You can't just push kids out of your spot whenever you want to sit down," she said.

"Why not?"

Ron and Harry snickered. Hermione narrowed her eyes at me and I gulped. "Because it's _rude, _Aisy." She stood. "I'm going to bed. Try not to trample any first years." With that snide remark, she flounced up the stairs.

Ron stretched with a big yawn, giving me a less-than-attractive view of his tonsils. "I'm going too," he said. "Night." Then he left too.

Now it was just me and Harry. I felt those dang butterflies again, which annoyed me. I decided to make small talk to cover it up. "So… How about those Chudley Cannons?" Harry smiled, but I noticed with a small start that he seemed nervous too. I frowned at him and tilted my head to the side. "What's wrong with you?"

He didn't answer, seeming transfixed. He just kept staring at me, and I started fidgeting uncomfortably. "Harry!"

"What?" He woke out of his daze with a start. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just staring into space."

"You were staring at me," I said matter-of-factly. "Better be careful. If you stare at any other girl like that, she'll write you off as a creep."

"What about you?" he asked, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I know for a fact that I'm a bigger creep than you, so your creepiness doesn't bother me." I smiled and looked up at the girls' dormitory. "I should probably get to bed."

His face turned disappointed for a split second before he covered it up so quickly that I wasn't sure if it had ever slipped. "Right," he said easily. "Well… Good night." He waited expectantly.

I knew he was waiting for me to hug him like I always did, or maybe peck him on the cheek. But after the awkward incident at the Burrow, after which I'd realized I liked him a lot more than I thought, I couldn't kiss him on the cheek. Since I was nervous just being in his proximity, even something as friendly as a hug seemed far too intimate. While I'd have loved to be at the stage in our relationship where we could be romantic and emotionally intimate, I knew he probably didn't feel that way about me.

Honestly, who would?

So instead of doing either of those things, I gave him a quick smile and said, "Night!" before dashing up the stairs as quickly as my legs could take me, leaving my bewildered best friend behind.

I didn't stop running until I'd entered the fourth year room and shut the door behind me. I sat on my scarlet and gold bed with a heavy sigh.

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading. "Did you run all the way here?"

I shrugged and attempted to dispel the lingering butterflies in my stomach.

She frowned, closing her book and setting it aside before turning on her bed to face me. "Okay. What happened after I left?"

I shrugged again, but she was having none of that. She kept staring at me until I finally caved. "IthinkIloveHarry," I said quickly and quietly.

"What?" she asked, her frown deepening. "Enunciate, Aisy."

"IthinkIloveHarry," I said again, not slowing down or pronouncing the words more clearly at all.

"Aisy," she groaned.

"I think I love Harry!" I blurted, before clapping a hand to my mouth and looking at Hermione with wide eyes. As expected, her jaw had dropped wide open and her eyes were so wide I could see myself reflected in them.

"_What _did you just say?" she gasped.

"You heard what I said," I groaned.

"That's fantastic!" she exclaimed. "And it's only taken you four years to admit it!"

"Four years?" I repeated, confused. "I haven't been in love with him for four years."

"You think you haven't. Really, I think you've loved him all along."

I stared at her for a minute, slightly dazed. "You know," I said slowly, "I think you might possibly be right."

She smirked. "When am I not?"

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Whatever, you conceited witch, I'm going to sleep." With that, I pulled the curtains around my bed closed and buried my head underneath my pillow, falling asleep.

* * *

**Well that was fun. It seems Aisy is finally coming to terms with some things.  
**

**Till next time!  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hi guys.**

**I'm having a really bad day, but somehow I managed to finish this chapter, so here. Enjoy.  
**

**I should probably suck it up, but it really hurts knowing your best friend isn't with you anymore.  
**

**Anyway, enough of my depressing personal life. Read it, Potterheads!  
**

* * *

The next morning found Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I examining our new course schedules at breakfast. "Today's not bad... Outside all morning," said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule.

"Excellent," I said happily. I looked down at my own schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures... Damn it, we're still with the Slytherins... "

"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down. I groaned too, my forehead hitting the table.

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione said in an almost taunting voice, buttering herself some toast. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

"Oh, hush, you," I said, flinging a bit of butter at her. She dodged it neatly and went on adding jam to her toast as if nothing had happened.

"You're eating again, I notice," Ron commented, watching her.

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," she replied haughtily.

"Yeah... And you were hungry," Ron concluded, grinning.

There was a sudden rustling noise above us, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Velox flew directly to me, empty-handed. She perched on my shoulder and stared expectantly at my toast. I obligingly ripped off a corner and fed it to her. When she finished it, she nipped my ear affectionately and flew off.

The other owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large tawny owl soared down to Neville and deposited a parcel into his lap. He almost always forgot to pack something. On the other side of the Hall, Draco Bloody Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I turned back to Harry. He looked rather disappointed, and I knew it was because Sirius hadn't yet answered his letter. I smiled comfortingly at him, to which he only responded with a small nod.

He remained preoccupied until we arrived in Greenhouse Three, but here he was apparently distracted by Professor Sprout showing all of us the ugliest plants I'd ever seen. Indeed, they looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid. I gazed at them in slight awe. They were disgusting-looking, sure, but I couldn't help but admire them. "Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told us briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus—"

"_What?" _I gasped. "That's revolting!"

Seamus laughed appreciatively. Suddenly we both realized just who the other was and glanced at each other quickly before both looking away and blushing.

I missed him. Not necessarily in a relationship kind of way, but he'd been a great friend who reminded me of my brother with his sense of humor and protectiveness. I was upset that things had ended the way they had, and I missed my friend.

Sprout continued as if nothing had happened, though she did shoot me a half amused, half exasperated look. "It's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."

Squeezing the bubotubers was hilarious for me. Every time I managed to squeeze a bunch of thick, green, gooey stuff out of the end with a loud squelching noise, I'd giggle uncontrollably. My fit of giggles wasn't helped by the fact that everyone else seemed disgusted, especially the girls, who would squeal every time they got some pus. I collected the pus in the bottles like Sprout had said and ended up being finished before most of the class. Some guy named Justin Flinch-Fletchley glared at me reproachfully. Obviously he'd liked to have finished first. I flashed a smile at him and faced Sprout.

"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," she said, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

"Like poor Eloise Midgen," said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. "She tried to curse hers off."

"Silly girl," said Professor Sprout, shaking her head.

"That's an understatement," I muttered in an undertone. Hermione shot me a glare while Ron and Harry snickered, along with Dean and Seamus.

Hermione leaned a bit closer to me. "Might want to be a bit nicer," she hissed. "Most people don't take kindly to rudeness." I rolled my eyes.

A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs began climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and we started heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. I immediately kneeled before the dog and started scratching his ear. He licked my face and I laughed gleefully. I didn't know what it was, but I'd always bonded with animals particularly well, and enormous boarhounds were no exception.

There were several open wooden crates on the ground at Hagrid's feet, and Fang started whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. As the rest of the class drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached our ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions. I immediately drew back and stood by Harry, who unconsciously stepped closer to me as well.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this—Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" Ron asked incredulously.

Hagrid pointed down into the crates. I leaned over eagerly and immediately recoiled. "Oh gross!"

"Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward. My thoughts exactly.

The Skrewts looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

I eyed Hagrid incredulously. "Are you mad?" I asked, but he didn't seem to hear me.

"On'y jus' hatched," he said proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

"And why would we want to raise them?" said a cold, familiar voice that always made me want to hit something. The Slytherins had arrived. The speaker was Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words.

Hagrid looked stumped at the question.

"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"

"They're lethal-looking creatures, Malfoy," I said slowly. I fixed him with my coldest glare, one that could compete with even Severus Snape.

He sneered slightly at my interruption. "So what?"

"So… I think that when they mature, maybe they can _seriously injure _a certain snarky, pointy-faced, pale Slytherin prat if he doesn't learn to close his ever-running mouth right now before he severely pisses me off." I smiled at him, but my annoyance turned it into more of a threatening grimace.

What little color there was in Malfoy's face drained out of it. He did his best to conceal it, but I saw the tiniest glint of fright in his silver eyes. I smirked triumphantly.

Hagrid seemed very uncomfortable with the exchange; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, "Tha's enough, now... Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things—I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer—I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each."

"First pus and now this," muttered Seamus. I chuckled and we exchanged glances, but this time it was considerably less awkward. I still blushed, but I didn't look away bashfully. I smiled tentatively at him, and he slowly returned it. It looked like our friendship might be repaired soon.

Then the time came to pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. I searched, but couldn't seem to find the mouths of the vile creatures. I frowned at Harry, but he just shrugged.

"Ouch!" yelled Dean Thomas after about ten minutes. "It got me!"

Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious.

"Its end exploded!" the boy said angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.

"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," Hagrid informed him, nodding.

I burst into laughter, but stopped when Dean shot me a reproachful glare. Wow, everyone was full of anger today.

"Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically (Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box). "I reckon they're the males. . . . The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies. . . . I think they might be ter suck blood."

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

I thought I'd told him to shut his trap? "Malfoy…" I growled warningly, but Hermione beat me to it.

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," she snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Harry, Ron, and I grinned at Hagrid, who gave us a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard.

"Well, at least the skrewts are small," said Ron as we made our way back up to the castle for lunch an hour later.

"They are now," said Hermione in an exasperated voice, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."

"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" Ron retorted, grinning slyly at her.

"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," Hermione responded haughtilysaid Hermione. "As a matter of fact I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."

"I think they're cute," I said thoughtfully. I smiled at their incredulous stares and shrugged. "What? I do. One of them bit Malfoy, did you see that? It was positively adorable."

Hermione rolled her eyes. We sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped ourselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that we stared at her.

"Er—is this the new stand on elf rights?" I asked. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"

"No," she sighed, with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts. "I just want to get to the library."

"What?" Ron gasped in disbelief. "Hermione—it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"

The curly-headed bookworm shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as though she had not eaten for days. Then she leapt to her feet, said, "See you at dinner!" and departed at high speed.

Then the bell rang. I groaned; I was so not ready for Divination with Bug-Eyes. I turned to my two best friends, who looked equally annoyed. "I'm skipping," I announced.

They looked slightly shocked. "It's the first day, Aisy," Harry said emphatically.

"So?" I asked, with an unconcerned shrug.

Ron sighed. "Come off it, Harry, you won't talk her out of this. You never do."

I smiled and pinched Ron's cheek. "Look who's grown a brain," I cooed patronizingly, laughing when he scowled and smacked my hand.

Something weird happened though. When Ron hit me, Harry reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly. I felt my eyebrows raise as Ron and I stared at him in surprise. Ron pulled his arm out of Harry's grip. "What was that about?" he asked.

Harry looked just as bewildered as us. "I don't know…" he said, blinking. "You hit her and I just…"

I tried to ignore the warm flush that spread through me and the way my heart sped up when I heard that Harry was kind of defending me. The bell rang again and I laughed. "Ha, you two are late!" I darted off to the common room before any teachers could see me skiving.

When I closed the portrait behind me, I saw that there were only two people in the room, and they were a couple of my favorite people in the world. I beamed as I planted myself in between them on a large, squishy couch. "Hi, Fred, George," I chirped.

"Hullo," they said simultaneously.

I noticed the assorted sweets on the table in front of us. "Still working on your Skiving Snackboxes?"

"They work really well now," Fred announced happily, looking at the tiny packages in front of us with a proud gleam in his eye. "Only trouble is with the Fainting Fancies, we haven't got an antidote yet. You'd be out for weeks."

"I want one," I said immediately, brightening at the prospect of no Potions or Divination for weeks.

The twins snickered. "But wouldn't you miss Harry?" Fred asked slyly.

I froze, my face coloring. I shot an accusing glare at George before looking at Fred. "What do you mean?" I asked in a slightly high-pitched voice.

"You like him," Fred said bluntly, still grinning slyly. "George told me."

"Oi!" George exclaimed indignantly, punching his brother's arm. "Way to sell me out!"

"GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY!" I screamed, shooting off of the couch and facing him with my hands on my hips in a very Mrs. Weasley-ish manner. This was designed to scare him, and scare him it did. He cowered slightly. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ANYONE! NOT EVEN HIM!" I pointed angrily at Fred, who looked he wanted to laugh and run away at the same time, which was a very odd combination.

"Aisy…" George whined, looking beseechingly at me. "You know I had to tell Fred… We're twins, we tell each other everything…"

"Who else have you told?" I snarled.

He winced at my tone. "No one, I swear!"

I sighed heavily, still glaring furiously at him, before I softened. "All right, but if either of you say a word, I will hang you from the Astronomy Tower by your balls."

They both winced at the thought. I cracked a smile, rejoined them on the couch, and soon we were laughing around like normal.

"So, any thoughts on how to get past the age restriction?" I asked, planting my feet on George's lap.

"Not yet," he responded, shoving my feet off of him. I simply replaced them and he scowled at me.

"You'll think of something," I said confidently.

oOoOoOoOoOo

In the dormitory that night, I looked out the window next to my bed. The grounds were dark and eerily quiet but I found it beautiful. I looked at the trees of the Forbidden forest, and remembered how dark they were at daytime. They weren't exactly green like most forests.

Green like emeralds.

Like Harry's eyes.

I shook my head fiercely. I needed to get over this silly little crush. Obviously it was going nowhere. Why would Harry feel anything for me other than friendship? I was nothing special.

I was no one.

With that unsettling thought, I climbed into my bed, bid goodnight to Hermione, who was up reading, and closed my eyes, willing sleep to finally come and take me into a world that was entirely my own.

* * *

**GOD AISY, HE FREAKING ADORES YOU.  
**

**She's such an idiot.**

**Review, loved ones!  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**A'N: Fluff.**

**Fluff fluff, fluff, fluff fluff fluff, fluff.  
**

**That's all this chapter is, and I think it's pretty cute. I do love me some fluff.  
**

**If you're not into that kind of thing, feel free to skip over this, as there's no HUGE plot line here, but still, I myself think it's enjoyable to read.  
**

**So enjoy, loves!  
**

* * *

Hermione's POV:

Aisy's an idiot, I thought to myself as I watched her toss around in her sleep, having her usual nightmares. I'd learned not to wake her up, for that only made it worse for her.

Aisy's an idiot.

I wasn't being mean or anything. I loved Aisy dearly; she was my very first friend and the sibling I never had. She was my best friend in the world, but Godric, she was dense.

I laughed to myself. Someday, when they were married, Harry would have to deal with her moments of denseness.

That's why I kept thinking about how stupid she was. It was blatantly obvious that Harry was head over heels for her. He was always watching her like a hawk, and glaring at any boy who came within ten feet of her. Ronald had told me how he'd jumped to her defense weeks ago when the former had playfully smacked Aisy's hand. It sounded amusing. If she hadn't figured it out then, she'd go all the way to her grave not knowing he loved her.

I wondered if Harry knew that she loved him nearly as much.

I sighed suddenly. Well, this is what's become of my life, I thought. I'm worrying about other people's love lives, when I don't even have one of my own.

With that thought, my mind immediately drifted over to a certain long-nosed, freckle-faced someone who I'd fancied since first year. I blushed, even though I was the only one who could hear what I was thinking.

Ronald was dense too.

I looked at the enchanted clock on my bedside table. It was one in the morning! How had I stayed up so late? Those books, they were conspiring to keep me awake, I just knew it.

With another sigh, I pulled myself out of bed. There was no chance of me sleeping now. I pulled on a robe and a pair of slippers and crept down into the common room, finding our spot by the fireplace and curling up on the couch. As I stared into the already-crackling fire, I felt the presence of someone else in the room. Then when I saw a shock of red hair out of the corner of my eye, my heart leapt into my throat and I looked up to see a very shy-looking Ronald standing there, shuffling his feet. I beamed at him as he came near.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ron's POV:

Any day now, the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would arrive at Hogwarts. Bloody finally. I was looking forward to seeing some Beauxbatons girls. Harry, apparently, didn't share my enthusiasm.

Already whipped.

It was the last week of September, and the students from the other two schools were supposed to show up in the beginning of October. I stretched in my bed and let my mind race, which happens a lot, despite what my friends might tell you.

I thought about the Triwizard Tournament, how the twins might get past Dumbledore's age line, whether or not Harry was going to make a damn move already, why Aisy found the bubotubers and skrewts so delightful, how big of a git Malfoy was and ways to get back at him, and, most of all, my Hermione.

When others looked at her, they saw big teeth, wild hair, and the nerdiest person in the school, besides Percy. But whenever I looked at her, I saw a big heart, a wild spirit, and the most beautiful witch in the world. I knew I wasn't good enough for her. She needed someone as brilliant as she is, and I was dense as a brick. I was a good-looking bloke, I knew that, but she deserved so much more. Maybe, though, just maybe, she felt the same way about me.

Was I crazy for thinking she might like me? Or should I maybe finally make a move on the witch I'd been crazy for since first year?

I heard Harry mumble in his sleep like he almost always did, interrupting my slightly depressing thoughts. "Voldem—" he murmured, his face turning into his pillow and muffling out the last part.

"You're a git," I informed him, knowing full well he wouldn't hear. I did this a lot. It never got through, apparently.

"I'm a git…" he mumbled back. He always did this, but in the mornings he'd remember nothing. It was entertaining, really.

I smirked at my sleeping friend and looked out the window nearest me, still talking to him. "You need to get a move on with Aisy or she'll leave your sorry arse behind."

"I need to get a move on… My arse…" I stifled my laugh, not wanting to wake him and end my little game.

"You will buy me a large bar of chocolate next time we go into Hogsmeade."

"I'll buy you chocolate…"

I grinned triumphantly and decided to take it to the next level. "You'll give me your Firebolt."

"No, I won't, you bloody prat."

I almost fell off my bed in surprise. Harry was now sitting up in bed with a wry smirk on his face. "Having fun?"

"Very much so," I replied, grinning in amusement. Harry rolled over to look at his clock. "One in the morning and you can't sleep?" he asked me incredulously.

I shrugged, looking out the window again. Deciding that I wouldn't be sleeping any time soon, I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed a cloak.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked as I opened the door to the dorm.

"To the common room," I replied.

"Good, get out, I need my sleep," he called after me as I departed.

When I got downstairs to the cozy room, I noticed a head of wild, curly, light brown hair sitting in our usual spot that made my heart race and my mouth go dry. I mustered up all of my Gryffindor courage and picked my way to the couch where my Hermione sat, standing awkwardly when I got close to her. She looked up and smiled at me, causing my palms to start sweating slightly. How could one girl be so breathtakingly beautiful?

"Hullo," I choked out of my dry throat.

Thankfully, she didn't notice. "Hello," she replied, still smiling prettily. Her huge, chocolate-colored eyes reflected the firelight, which brought out the flecks of gold in them.

I smiled back at her, finding it surprisingly easy. I grinned goofily for a few minutes before realizing I was gawking at her. Coughing awkwardly, I said, "So, can't sleep either, huh?"

She raised her eyebrows at me. "No, I'm sleeping perfectly well. That's why I'm down here at one in the morning."

I felt a bit of heat rise to my already-flaming cheeks. I gestured vaguely to the spot next to her. "Mind if I—"

"Go right ahead," she replied with a smile, moving over to make room for me.

I sat and relaxed into the plush comfort of the sofa. Hermione and I sat in silence for a while, but for once, it wasn't awkward. She was staring into the fire while I discreetly stared at her. Eventually I started looking at the fire too, for looking out of the corner of my eyes was starting to make them ache a bit.

After a while, she broke the silence with the one topic we'd been able to talk freely about without eventually becoming awkward—really, the thing several people were talking about nowadays: "Has Harry made any desire known to ask Aisy out yet?"

"He definitely wants to, he's just so full of denial and, well, fear that it'll never happen at this rate." I groaned inwardly at my best mate's idiocy. "What about Aisy?"

She sighed. "Completely oblivious." Another sigh. "Don't you hate it when people are in love, and everyone sees it but them?"

At this, I met her eyes, which were gazing right at me. That took me slightly aback. Was she suggesting—No, of course not. "Yeah, I do," I replied softly.

She cleared her throat and turned away. "We need to do something about this."

I was startled. She was referring to us, wasn't she? But what did she want to do, unless she fancied me and wanted to move on past friends? "I think you're right," I said eagerly, jumping at the chance.

Her gorgeous eyes reflected the flames of the fireplace. "But what should we do?"

I balked a bit. I had no idea she wanted to be so forward with this. Should I just come outright and say it? Of course I should, surely she'd want the bloke to make the first move, every bird does… "Well, I do like you a lot…"

"_What?" _she gasped, her head snapping up and her eyes meeting mine, wide with shock.

Shit, shit, shit! Merlin's bloody boxer shorts! "Uh," I stuttered, "uh, I-I said… That uh..." I was sure that if I could have seen my face, I'd have wondered who charmed my face into a tomato. Then I realized, BLOODY HELL, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HARRY AND AISY.

"She does like him a lot!" I said quickly, ignoring the way my heart hammered against my ribs. "That's… That's, er, what I said."

Her shocked look didn't vanish. "I could've sworn you said…"

"'Mione, it's what, two in the morning now? You're tired, your hearing is botched, you misheard me, that's all." My quick explanation seemed to calm her, as her face softened and she smiled weakly at me.

"You're right," she said.

I was saved from further humiliation by a head of dark hair invading our space with a loud, "HEY, GUYS!"

"Aisy!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing the girl off of her lap. "Hush, you'll wake the others!"

Aisy planted herself in between us, almost knocking me off of the couch. "Sorry," she chirped, not sounding sorry at all.

While the two girls sat next to each other so that I could clearly see both of their faces, I found myself thinking that Aisy really couldn't compare to my Hermione at all.

Don't get me wrong, Aisy wasn't ugly by any means. She had a spray of light freckles across her nose and cheeks, wide, sky blue eyes that gave her a false innocent look, and dainty facial features that altogether made her appear to be some sweet, angelic little girl, when she was really anything but. Her dark chocolate-colored, slightly curly hair tumbled around her shoulders, and I couldn't help comparing it to Hermione's thick, untamed locks.

Still, when I looked at her next to Hermione, all I could see was the latter.

Aisy sighed happily, slinging an arm around both of us and pulling us to her in an uncomfortable group hug. "How are my loved ones doing on this fine night?"

We pulled away. Hermione regarded her with an air of surprise. "What is Aislynn Domecq, of all people, doing up in the wee hours of the night? You're the kind of girl that sleeps with her wand in her hand so she can hex the first person to try and wake her up."

Aisy laughed. Hermione and I just stared at her. Now she was _laughing _in the morning? "I dunno," she said with a shrug, "I just got fed up with nightmares and when I woke again, sat up so I could wake you up and talk to you, but I saw you were already gone." She momentarily scowled at my Hermione, but she looked slightly amused. "So I decided to wake Harry up, after saying hello to you." She got off the couch. "Which I'm going to do now, since I don't feel like talking to you boring sods." She started heading for the boys' dormitory

"Get in there!" I called after her, waggling my eyebrows. She laughed loudly as she disappeared.

Hermione and I exchanged amused looks, before I looked away. Love, eh?

Aisy's POV:

"Get up, loved one!" I called loudly, pouncing on Harry's sleeping form. If I had to stay awake at this ungodly hour of the morning, so did he.

He gave a strangled yell and shot up in bed, nearly bowling me over. I stuck my face right in his and grinned brightly. "Good morning, sunshine!"

He saw it was me and scowled. "Why are you waking me up? And a bigger question, why are _you _up?"

I shrugged. It was damn cold in the room, so I shoved him over slightly on the bed and crawled in with him, much to his surprise. I ignored the blush that was no doubt staining my cheeks. Damn my blood flow. "Budge over a bit more, will you? It's cold in here!"

He obliged, an amused smile lifting his lips. "Try not to steal most of the covers this time, yeah?"

I scoffed indignantly. "What? When have I ever done that?"

"When we were sleeping in the hospital wing. I was cold for most of the night."

"Oh, shut it, you big baby," I said, swatting him. "I was the patient, I deserved the damn covers."

"And I was there for moral support! Don't you think moral supporters need warmth too?"

"I'm sure my body heat kept you warm enough," I answered with a roll of my eyes. "You are such a drama queen."

He scoffed this time. "I am not."

"Are too."

"Not.

"Are."

"Not."

"Are."

"I'm not going to win this, am I?"

"Nope," I responded, popping the "p".

He sighed in defeat. "Fair enough. How about this: I'm the world's biggest drama king, while you're the world's most notorious cover thief?"

I grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"I bet you do." He changed the subject. "Did you see Ron while you were down there?"

My grin turned evil, which made Harry slightly wary. "Sure did. He was getting cozy with a certain curly-haired Gryffindor Goddess."

Harry's eyes widened. "Were they—?"

"No, no, no," I said quickly, knowing Hermione and Ron would hate me if I said something like that. "Just talking. But still," I added as an afterthought, "they were looking rather cozy."

"Like you two are right now?" came a dry voice from across the room. Harry and I jumped slightly in surprise and watched as Dean poked his head out of the curtains surrounding his bed. "Would you mind keeping it down? Some people actually do need sleep, you know." He grinned to let us know he was teasing.

I rolled my eyes. "Cheers, mate."

He withdrew and closed the curtains once more.

Harry and I exchanged glances. "Git," we said at the same time.

"Hey!" came Dean's indignant voice.

We laughed and I felt my body warming considerably as Harry's body vibrated against mine with laughter. I flushed slightly but smiled at my best mate, who I'd come to have strong feelings for. As our laughter quieted and I found myself staring into his eyes, I felt the overwhelming urge to lean forward and close off the little space between us…

I yanked my head back when I realized that I was leaning closer, now a brilliant red. I grinned sheepishly to cover it up, but Harry didn't seem to notice any of this, as his eyes were still locked on mine. After a moment of intense staring, he blinked and looked away. I stretched my arms out in front of me.

"Tired?" he asked, amused.

"No, not really." I took advantage of his distraction and yanked the covers completely away from him, darting out of the dormitory with them clutched in my hands and laughing at his yell of, "Witch!"

The world's most notorious cover thief had struck again.

* * *

**GAH.**

**SO. MUCH. FLUFFINESS.  
**

**I happen to steal covers in my sleep too, so this quirk of Aisy's is more or less based off of me.  
**

**Has anyone else noticed that she's sort of a cock-block? C'mon Aisy, let Ron and Hermione have a moment, will you?  
**

**Ah well. Review, peoples! Reviews are cookies, and I'm hungry. FEED ME.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Ooh, lookie here! Rachel's posting a long chapter for once!  
**

**Here, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang FINALLY arrive. How fun is that?  
**

**Well, read on, peoples.  
**

* * *

We were in DADA, about a week before the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were due to arrive. Moody stood in front of the class, his magical eye swiveling around to stare at each one of us in turn. "I'll be putting the Imperius Curse on all of you today," he announced.

"Oh hell no," I protested loudly. Moody, however, was focused on Hermione, who had stood.

"But you said it's illegal, Professor," she said uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said to use it against another human was—"

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," Moody interrupted gruffly, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way, when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, that's fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed one gnarled finger at the door.

Hermione went very pink, sat down, and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. I exchanged smiles with Ron and Harry. We knew Hermione would rather eat undiluted bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson, ridiculous though it might be.

Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. I watched as, one by one, my classmates did the weirdest things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. He had quite a nice voice. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it. I felt sick. The knowledge that with just one word, you can completely take away a human being's willpower, totally sickened me. It was _wrong._

"Potter," Moody growled, "you next."

The sick feeling intensified. What would he force Harry to do?

But with Harry, the oddest thing happened. Moody tried to get him to jump on the desk, but he seemed to be having some sort of internal struggle. At last, he ended up hitting his head on the desk and collapsing onto the floor. "Harry!" I gasped, running forward and kneeling next to him. "Are you okay?"

Meanwhile, Moody was in the background praising Harry about fighting the curse. I wanted to curse the man myself. Harry seemed a bit dazed from hitting his head. "Yeah, I'm good…"

"That looked like it hurt," I chuckled, relieved that he was fine.

"It did," he replied. I helped him up and we rejoined the class. This time, Moody's magical eye centered on me. _Oh shit._

"Your turn, Domecq," he rumbled.

I walked to the middle of the class and folded my arms defiantly. Moody raised his wand at me and said, "Imperio."

It felt as if I was floating, without a care in the world. It was a rather wonderful feeling, but for some reason I was still aware of everyone around me, and felt as if I was still in complete control of my mind. Then I heard Moody's voice that sounded like it was in my head.

'Do a handstand.'

_No, that's just ridiculous. I'm wearing a skirt._

'Handstand.'

_I said no, twit_. _Do you want me flashing my knickers?_

'Do a handstand!'

_DO YOU NOT SPEAK ENGLISH? I SAID HELL NO. _I hadn't even moved an inch. I still stood there with my arms folded, staring Moody down. Eventually he removed the Curse and moved his mouth in what might have been a grin. To this day, I'm still shocked I was never punished for my swearing.

"Now here we go!" he roared at the class, who flinched slightly at his incredibly loud voice. "Miss Domecq here wasn't swayed at all! This is what I want you kids to do."

At the end of class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up to me as I darted out the door, wanting to get away from Mad-Eye Moody and all his Unforgivables.

"How'd you do it?" Ron asked, his voice portraying slight awe.

I shrugged as we made our way to Transfiguration. "He told me to do a handstand, and I didn't want to. So I said no."

Harry looked impressed. "So did I, but eventually he got me to jump. I tried to fight it, though, and as you could see, it didn't turn out well."

We laughed and entered our classroom.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Days later, when we arrived in the entrance hall one day after Care of Magical Creatures, we found ourselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Ron, the tallest of us four, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of us and read the sign aloud to the other two:

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY—**

"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! The bat of the dungeons won't have time to poison us all!"

**STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.**

"Only a week away!" came a Hufflepuff named Ernie from somewhere near the front. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him..."

"Cedric?" Ron questioned blankly as Ernie scurried off.

"Diggory," Harry answered. "He must be entering the tournament."

"I remember him, from the Cup," I put in. "He seems nice."

We pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.

"Whatever," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "He seems like an idiot to me."

"He's not an idiot," Hermione and I said at the same time.

"You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," she added. "I've heard he's a really good student, _and _he's a prefect." She spoke as though this settled the matter, which, in her world, it did.

"You only like him because he's handsome," Ron said scathingly.

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" Hermione protested indignantly.

Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like "Lockhart!"

"Oh, shut up, you idiots," I snapped, annoyed. "Yes, Cedric Diggory is a handsome prefect. No, he's not an idiot. Yes, he's probably entering the tournament. No, we are not going to discuss this now. Let's all shut our traps and head to class, yeah?"

Hermione and Ron mumbled their assent and Harry shot me an approving look behind their backs.

During the following week, there was to be only one topic of conversation between the four of us and what seemed like the rest of the castle, no matter where we went: the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.

Filch was being an absolute menace lately, even compared to how he usually was. Apparently, the castle was undergoing an extreme cleaning phase. Wednesday, when I witnessed him tearing into a second year Hufflepuff so viciously that she ran away crying, I made a mental note to get together with the twins. A certain caretaker would get his due.

When Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, we found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H. I felt a swell of pride, knowing that this wonderful place was the school I'd be supporting throughout the tournament.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually, they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices. Ron led the way over to them.

"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" asked Ron, sitting down next to them.

"Wish you would," Fred snapped, looking irritated at the interruption.

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," George replied in an annoyed voice.

Since my seat was right next to George, I leaned over imperceptibly as the rest of the Fearsome Foursome was suddenly distracted by Neville. "What _is _going on with you two?" I whispered.

The twin exchanged glances before apparently deciding that they could trust me. George gave an exaggerated sigh of defeat and leaned close to whisper in my ear. "That Ludo Bagman character," he hissed, his voice full of vague loathing for the man in question. "He gave us leprechaun gold."

I frowned, not understanding. "So?"

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "_So_, leprechaun gold disappears after a while."

My eyes widened and I became outraged. "That lying cheat!" I exclaimed, probably louder than I should have, for my friends immediately whipped around to look at me and the twins.

"Who's a lying cheat?" Ron asked loudly.

"Your face," I responded in a dignified manner.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked the twins suddenly, preventing Ron from making any sort of retort. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," George said bitterly. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"I like raccoons," I said dreamily, receiving blank stares. "What? They're adorable. Their masks make them look like little bandits."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron said thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before..." I shivered at the memories.

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," Fred interjected. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," Hermione put in, and everyone but me looked around at her, rather surprised, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage." She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History. Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School." I laughed awkwardly, knowing what was coming. Damn…

"What are you on about?" Ron asked incredulously.

"House-elves!" she spat, her chocolate eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"

I sighed heavily and let my face hit the table. Here we go again. Hermione and her S.P.E.W. She'd forced Ron, Harry, and me to buy a badge even though I didn't support the cause much. Don't get me wrong, I adored house-elves and magical creatures in general but it was plain to see that the little elves adored their jobs. I simply hated the way they were treated by most wizards. Hermione, however, was determined to set them all free, and I knew this was wrong. Dobby had been an exception. Unfortunately, I had thus far been unable to talk any sense into my curly-headed friend. When she had her mind set on something she would simply not let go, stubborn as she was.

As my face continued to become acquainted with the tablecloth, I heard George's voice.

"Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"

"No, of course not," came Hermione's curt response, "I hardly think students are supposed to—"

"Well, we have," George interrupted, possibly indicating me and Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world—"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly. My head snapped up. Now Hermione had definitely gone off the deep end. Luckily, she was unable to continue her rant due to the arrival of the post owls. I saw Harry look up at once, and when I looked up as well I saw Hedwig soaring toward him. Hermione stopped talking abruptly; she, Ron, and I watched Hedwig anxiously as she fluttered down onto Harry's shoulder, folded her wings, and held out her leg wearily.

Harry pulled off Sirius's reply and offered Hedwig his bacon rinds, which she ate gratefully. Then, checking that Fred and George were safely immersed in further discussions about the Triwizard Tournament, he read out Sirius's letter in a whisper to the three of us.

_Nice try, Harry._

_I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar._

_Sirius_

"Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked in a low voice.

"Hedwig'll attract too much attention," Hermione answered at once. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding... I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"

"Thanks, Hedwig," Harry said. Said owl was currently over on my arm being stroked by yours truly. Have I mentioned my love for animals? Whenever an owl came to one of my friends, I'd usually play with the bird until they were ready to return to the Owlery. Hedwig gave a soft hoot and departed.

When the bell rang early that day, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited our bags and books as we had been instructed, pulled on our cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

"Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait. I concealed my snickers behind my hands. Harry nudged me to be quiet.

"Follow me, please," McGonagall said. "First years in front... No pushing..."

We filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. The four of us stood in the fourth row from the front. I shivered in anticipation.

Harry must've mistaken my trembling for cold, for he stepped a bit closer to me. "D'you want my cloak?" he asked in a low voice.

I regarded him with confusion for a second before I understood. "No, I'm just excited," I said with a smile. My eyes searched the gates for any sign of the arriving schools.

Harry nodded, but took my hand anyway. I flushed with pleasure and shot him a small smile, which he returned. Luckily it was too dark to see the reddening of my cheeks.

"Nearly six," Ron said suddenly, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," Hermione said.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

"I don't think so..." I answered thoughtfully, following his gaze nonetheless. "Not from that far away..."

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate! Maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?" I groaned, anticipating Hermione's snappish reply.

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" she said impatiently, not disappointing me. I chuckled with Harry at our friends' bickering.

We waited for a long while. Eventually, I struck up a game with Dean Thomas. We used our wands as miniature swords and combatted each other, much to the amusement of our audience, which consisted of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Lavender, and the Patil twins. Some other people watched too, but I didn't know their names.

"Ha ha!" I cried triumphantly as I finally stuck Dean in the chest with my wand. He groaned in defeat and I beamed around at all the spectators. "Looks like the sword-fighting champion of Hogwarts remains victorious!" Everyone cheered, except for some of Dean's supporters, who slapped him on the back with a laugh.

"I'll take you on," said a Ravenclaw named Terry Boot, stepping forward with a challenging grin. I smirked and raised my sword-wand, ready to fight. "Challenge accepted."

Suddenly Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

I exchanged looks with Terry. "Next time," I promised. He nodded, and everyone went back to searching eagerly for the Beauxbatons students.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid... It's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

"No, it's totally a dragon!" I said, earning amused looks from the people surrounding me.

Dennis's guess was the closest... As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, we saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant. I heard Hermione's faint awed gasp. I gave one of my own, staring up at the beautiful creatures in wonder.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed. Then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.

Neville, meanwhile, was getting into a bit of a spat with the Slytherin he'd jumped on. I pulled him over to my other side, effectively shielding him from the burly boy, who, for some reason, didn't seem to have a problem with me. Apparently, even Slytherins can't resist my incredible charm.

Kidding.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then I saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage—a shoe the size of a child's sled - followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman I had ever seen in my life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped. My eyes widened comically.

I'd had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; I doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. Yet somehow, maybe simply because I was used to Hagrid, this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumblydore," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

I noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. I scoffed quietly. Idiots. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. From what I could see of them (they were standing in Madame Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

This puzzled me. I leaned over to Ron, who was on my other side. "What could they be afraid of?" He answered with a shrug.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore replied. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses—"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore interrupted cheerily, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other , er, charges."

"Skrewts," Ron muttered to Harry and me, grinning. I sighed. Apparently our favorite grounds keeper had not yet given up on his odd little hybrids, which weren't so little anymore these days.

"My steeds require, er, forceful 'andling," Madame Maxime said. She seemed rather doubtful of Hagrid's abilities. "Zey are very strong..."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well," Madame Maxime conceded, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. A quick glance at my friends' faces showed that they shared my sentiment.

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore answered, also bowing.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan asked, leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry, Ron, and me.

"Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," I said, causing my friends to laugh. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escaped," said Ron hopefully.

"Oh don't say that," said Hermione with a shudder. "Imagine that lot loose on the grounds..."

We stood waiting for the Durmstrang lot to arrive. I was now getting a bit chilly, and my shivers were no longer of excitement. This time I inclined my head towards Harry with a slight smile. "I wouldn't mind that cloak right about now."

He grinned and wrapped it around my shoulders. Much better.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, concerned, realizing that I'd taken his only cloak. He shook his head, still smiling.

"Can you hear something?" Ron asked suddenly.

We listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward us from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed...

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

From our position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, we had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water –except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks—and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor...

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool... And then I saw the rigging...

"It's a mast!" Harry said to Ron, Hermione, and me.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, we heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; we could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle. I only hoped that they had more brains... But then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, I saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair. I was a bit repulsed.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. He shook the man's hand when he reached him.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and I noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. I shivered, unable to ignore the awful feeling I was getting in the pit of my stomach. I only hoped a vision wouldn't decide to make an appearance until I was safely in my dorm, away from prying eyes. "How good it is to be here, how good... Viktor, come along, into the warmth... You don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, I caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. Ron suddenly punched Harry's arm, making sure to avoid contact with mine due to last time. "Victor Krum!" the redhead hissed, his eyes alight with excitement.

And it sure was. I recognized him from the Cup. The Bulgaria Seeker shook hands with Dumbledore, and everyone, including us Hogwarts students, finally shuffled into the castle, Harry's hand still clasping my own.

* * *

**Yeah, I don't really have anything to say.  
**

**So... Er, review, and such.  
**

**No seriously, review.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: My brother called me a mudblood recently. D:  
**

**Muggleborns are just as good as the rest of you! Leave me alone!  
**

**Anyway, my apologies, but a lot of this is taken from the book, for obvious reasons. In the rest of the chapters, there will be more fluffiness and originality, I swear.  
**

**Read on, witches and wizards. If you're a muggle, go away. xD  
**

**Kidding.  
**

* * *

We were in the Great Hall. The Goblet of Fire stood before us, ancient-looking and intimidating. I had the oddest urge to touch it.

Dumbledore was speaking, but I barely heard anything he was saying. I wasn't really thinking about anything else, I just had awful listening skills when it came to public announcements. I did catch some of what the man said, though.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

"An Age Line!" Fred exclaimed, his eyes glinting, as we all made our way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing—it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," put in Hermione, "we just haven't learned enough..."

"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Aisy?"

I noticed Hermione and Harry watching me. Ron, meanwhile, was staring around us, probably searching for Krum. He wasn't paying the slightest attention to our conversation.

I thought hard. The tournament was exceedingly dangerous, this much was obvious. And Hermione was right, we were only fourth years. Did we even know enough? But I remembered Dumbledore had said the challenges this year wouldn't be fatal, so the worst that could happen was not getting the riches. Then I thought about how I would feel if Harry was chosen for the tournament, or Ron, or Hermione. I'd go insane with worry, and I didn't want them to do the same. I made up my mind. "No."

Fred and George looked mildly disappointed, but couldn't dwell on it as they walked ahead of us, discussing their plans. Hermione beamed at me, and I noticed with a flutter that Harry looked relieved. I hoped I'd made the right decision.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning was Saturday. I really didn't care that it was Halloween, and the day the names would be picked. I never got up early for anything but school. Unfortunately, my dear Hermione decided that I should join her, Ron, and Harry for breakfast much earlier than normal.

"Get up, Aisy!" she exclaimed, knocking me over onto the floor like every morning. As usual, I curled up into the fetal position, preparing for the blows. She kicked at me until I finally yelled, "ALL RIGHT!"

I got up, dusted myself off, and glared at her. "Bloody hell, woman, no need to be so brutal."

She stared right back at me with a Malfoy-esque smirk on her face. "If I wasn't, you'd never get up, and you'd fail right out of Hogwarts."

That sobered me, and I reluctantly joined my batty friends for breakfast.

When we went down into the entrance hall, we saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied, her silver eyes still watching the Goblet with interest. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," I said. "Wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

Someone laughed behind us. We whirled around to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to the four of us. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron asked dumbly.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," Fred answered with a roll of his eyes.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," Hermione warned. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred asked the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then. I'll go first."

I watched in fascination. I couldn't help the bad feeling I got in the pit of my stomach, and as I watched the boys get take their slips of paper out of their pockets, I somehow knew that Hermione was right—this wouldn't work.

She was proved right. A split second later, the twins were launched away from the Goblet, each sporting fantastic beards. I rushed over to see that they were okay. They were fine, so I reached out a hand and stroked George's beard as the hall rang with laughter. He batted my hand away.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and we all turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

I agreed. Their beards were marvelous.

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and I went in to breakfast. "It was soft," I commented.

As we sat in our seats and began eating, Hermione said, "Listen!"

People were cheering out in the entrance hall. We all swiveled around in our seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.

Angelina hurried over to us. I beamed at her. "You're seventeen?"

"Yup," she said with a nod. "Had my birthday last week."

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

"Thanks, Hermione," Angelina replied, smiling at her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was now midafternoon. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were at Hagrid's, having eaten lunch with him. I was deeply immersed in a heated debate with Ron, while harry amused himself by watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves, for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "And we heard he's asking for wages now!"

"Ron, do you NOT feel how firm this wand is?" I asked him seriously, holding my wand out for his inspection. "Laurel is better than willow!"

"I don't care how bloody _firm_your wand is, Aisy!" Ron spat. "My wand is fourteen inches long! Everyone knows the longer the wand, the better!"

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed," Hagrid told Hermione. "I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it—no, nothin' doin', Hermione."

Hermione looked very cross indeed and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket. Sensing that their little spat was over, Harry turned his attention to my argument with Ron. Hermione and Hagrid watched too.

"You're driving me mad, Weasley!" I groaned, yanking at a tendril of my hair and promptly wincing in pain. "Length has nothing to do with the quality of a wand. It's the wood! The firmer the wood, the better. My wand is fantastically firm. Go on, feel."

"Length! It's all about length!" Ron protested.

Hermione interrupted, "No, no, you're both wrong, it's all about the core."

"In that case, phoenix feather is better," I told Ron in my snootiest voice.

"Yes it is!" Harry chimed in, waving his own wand about.

"No," Ron argued, now getting a bit impatient. "Unicorn tail hair wins."

Hermione scoffed at the three of us. "You're all delirious. Everyone knows dragon heartstring is the best."

By half past five it was growing dark, and the four of us, having decided to end our silly little debate (even though Harry and I remained convinced that we'd won), decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast—and, more important, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."

This was not to be. When we looked out the window minutes later, we saw Hagrid walking with Madame Maxime up to the castle.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

"He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record—bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. I squirmed excitedly in my seat, so much that Harry had to kick me so I'd stop shaking the table. I felt a bit anxious that the Hogwarts champion would be a Slytherin. Merlin knew we didn't need one of those scumbags representing our school.

At long last, Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore announced. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," He indicated the door behind the staff table, "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting... A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered two seats away from me.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. I grinned. Krum was my all-time favorite Quidditch player, and it would be brilliant to see him compete. A niggling voice in the back of my head asked me whether I'd cheer for him or Hogwarts, but I ignored it for now.

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Who? I saw Harry's and Ron's faces light up in recognition, but Hermione seemed nonplussed.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next...

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" Ron and I yelled. Unfortunately, no one heard us except for ourselves and Hermione, whose ear I had screamed into. She shot me an annoyed look. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and I grew very anxious. What on earth?

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Subconsciously, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out:

"Harry Potter."

My heart stopped.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I felt numb. Harry and Ron were in the middle of a row in the common room, with Hermione desperately trying to calm them down, but I couldn't even jump to Harry's defense. I knew he hadn't done it. He'd looked so shocked as he walked up the tables to the chamber where the champions gathered.

Eventually Ron stormed up to the common room. Harry trembled slightly with rage as he stared up at the boys' dorm. Then he turned his gaze on Hermione. "I suppose you think the same, right?" he asked venomously. "That _I _did it?"

She looked scandalized. "Of course not!"

He looked at me, and by this point I'd gotten over my shock, which was replaced with fear for my best friend. I then felt angered that he'd suspect me of not trusting him. "Don't even go there," I warned.

With a dramatic sigh, he plopped onto the couch beside me. Hermione looked between the two of us before apparently deciding that I could handle him alone and darting up to the girls' dorm. Harry groaned. "Now I've chased her away."

"Well, you were yelling."

He glared at me. "Now's not the time."

"Drop out," I suggested helpfully, trying my best to quell the growing terror in the pit of my stomach.

"I can't! Didn't you listen to anything Dumbledore said yesterday?"

"Er, some."

He groaned again, burying his face in his hands. I put my hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly. "Hey now," I said softly. "I know Ron's mad at you, but he'll get over it. He'll see that you were framed."

"How did this happen, Aisy?" he asked weakly, looking up at me. His eyes were puzzled and vulnerable.

My heart ached for him and I leaned over, wrapping my arms around him. "I don't know, Harry," I murmured into his chest, "but we'll figure it out."

"Promise?" he asked, nestling his face into my hair.

"Promise."

* * *

**I hate brewing potions in Pottermore. It's damn near impossible.  
**

**Oh my Godric, I've become a Neville.  
**

**Wait... That's actually awesome.  
**

**Just not when it comes to potions.  
**

**Seriously, I've blown up like fifteen cauldrons so far, and soiled nearly all my ingredients.  
**

**ANYWAY, that was completely random. So, back on topic: REVIEW, FRIENDS!  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey loves. I know I'm extremely late, and I really don't have an excuse. Sorry.**

**But I do have a mini-rant. So here goes.  
**

**I HATE reading those fanfics that show Ron as this evil guy who betrays Harry and Hermione and hates them for the rest of eternity. Like, what the hell. It really pisses me off that people think the bond of the Golden Trio can ever be broken, because it CAN'T. These three have been through EVERYTHING together and the fact that anyone can conceive the idea of them falling out for good just bewilders me. They have the deepest and most meaningful bond. Ron might have been mad at Harry in fourth year, but he never really left him. And he might have had a huge tantrum and abandoned them during the Horcrux hunt, which I admit was a scumbag move, but he always wanted to come back, and come back he did.  
**

**I especially hate it when the ENTIRE Weasley family turns against Hermione or Harry or both for some reason, because ALL of us know that'd never happen. They have Mean!Molly and I'm just thinking, what the hell are these people thinking about? Then they have something like Mean!Twins and that's really when I get pissed off. Once again, the bonds of friendship in the Harry Potter series, especially between the three main characters, can NEVER be severed permanently. It might get frayed occasionally, but it will remain strong forever.  
**

**Okay, mini-rant over. Enjoy the chapter :3  
**

* * *

"So, you and Ron all lovey-dovey again yet?"

Harry scowled at me. "Not now, Aisy."

"You both need to quit being immature prats and make up already," I insisted, waving my fork around as if for emphasis. The piece of flapjack on the end of it fell off and I sighed heavily.

"I'm not the one in the wrong here!" Harry protested, his eyes flickering towards Ron, who was farther down the table with Dean and Seamus. Ron was dutifully ignoring him. I scowled at one of my supposed best friends.

He hadn't even been talking to _me_ lately, and that's what most bothered me. I knew I hadn't done anything to offend him. Then again, neither had Harry, but the redhead thought that he'd entered the tournament and started lying about it. However, I didn't see any reason for Ron to be mad at me. Was it because I was best friends with Harry, therefore an enemy? If so, Ron was even more immature than I thought.

And poor Harry. He was always in a bad mood lately, but I knew it was to cover up the sadness that Ron's betrayal left. He even snapped at me and Hermione, who were basically the only people in the school who believed that he was innocent.

Hermione had become sort of a messenger between the feuding boys, much to her consternation. Ron would give her some snippy comment to give to Harry, who'd have a snappish retort. She was starting to get fed up, and frankly, I didn't blame her. Although, I was a bit jealous that Ron would speak to her and not me. It didn't make sense, really, considering the fact that she supported Harry as much as I did. Then I remembered, oh, he's in love with her.

"What day is it?" I asked the curly-headed witch.

She checked her class schedule. "Monday."

So that meant we had Charms, and then double Divination just before lunch. Charms was fun, but the double Divination was sure to ruin my already-tanking mood. I finished the remnants of my syrup-drowned flapjacks and stood. "Off we go, to a fun day full of learning," I exclaimed, my voice full of fake bravado.

Harry and Hermione stood and joined me. Together we made our way to Flitwick's classroom.

"Hello, class!" the tiny professor squeaked as we came in and quickly took our seats. I sat with Hermione instead of Harry in an attempt to force him and Ron to have to sit together, as Dean and Seamus were already paired up at a table in the front. Unfortunately, as soon as Ron saw the seating arrangements, he picked up his bag and hurried over to an empty table in the far corner of the slightly chilly room. Git.

Harry sat with Neville on my left, a fresh scowl on his face. I sighed. "Sorry?" I offered.

He waved my weak apology away and we determinedly focused on Flitwick up at the front.

We were set to working on color-changing charms. The incantation was _Colorus Mutatas_. Hermione and I were the first ones in the class to get it right. Hermione got it on the first try, while I got it on the third. In the last fifteen minutes of class, basically everyone had managed to do the charm.

I was feeling bored changing the color of the quill in front me from white to black, so I sneakily turned my wand on Draco Malfoy. I nudged Harry on my left. "Watch this," I hissed out of the corner of my mouth so Hermione wouldn't hear. "Colorus Mutatas!"

Draco's robes changed immediately. The silver turned to gold and the green turned to scarlet. He didn't even notice a thing. Harry and I had to work to conceal our snickers, while Hermione noticed what I'd done and scowled disapprovingly at me before giggling a bit herself. Eventually, the rest of the class noticed Malfoy's new wardrobe and started laughing, drawing the blond's attention. He frowned around at everyone, saving a special sneer just for me and Harry, before he finally looked down at himself.

"Who did this?" he spluttered furiously, his silver eyes blazing as they snapped up to meet mine. He quickly stood and aimed his wand at me. I scrambled to my feet as well and watched as Malfoy's mouth started to form what was undoubtedly a curse when—

"Expelliarmus!" I whipped around. Harry had gotten up and his wand was still pointing at Malfoy, who was now sprawled against a wall, still clothed in Gryffindor colors, his wand all the way across the room. Malfoy looked even more enraged, but before he could grab Crabbe's wand from him, Harry shouted, "Stupe—!"

"ENOUGH!" I was shocked at how loud the tiny Charms professor could be, seeing as how he barely came up to my hip. "Potter! Malfoy! Domecq! All of you stay after class! I want a word!"

Shit! I couldn't get detention! I promised Father I'd behave! "But Professor—"

"Quiet, Miss Domecq! You're in enough trouble already!"

"Professor—" Malfoy tried, but Flitwick cut him off too. "No, Mr. Malfoy, I mean it. After class."

"Professor, if you're going to punish them, could I at least tell you the full story?" Hermione spoke up from my right. I turned to her desperately to see that she'd stood. One look at her face made me realize she wasn't going to sugarcoat this to make Malfoy seem the only villain at all. She was going to be completely honest. Actually, I respected her for it.

Hermione cleared her throat before speaking. "Well, Aisy whispered something to Harry—though I didn't hear what—and then she pointed her wand at Malfoy and changed the color of his robes. He got mad and I think he was about to curse her or something when Harry disarmed him. Then he tried to stun him but that's when you interrupted."

I grimaced. She made it sound like I'd started the entire thing. I had, of course, but why make it sound like that?

Flitwick turned a disapproving gaze on me. "Detention, Miss Domecq," he said. He looked at Harry and Malfoy. "Detention for you both as well. Meet me in my office at seven tonight. Don't be late."

With that, the class was dismissed.

As we trudged out of the room, turned an apologetic gaze on my best friend. "Sorry I got you detention," I said. "It's just another problem on top of the whole Triwizard Tournament and the everyone-hating-you thing."

He sighed heavily. "It's fine Aisy. It's not like I could let Malfoy hurt you."

I smiled internally.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was with a heavy heart that the two of us made our way to the Charms professor's office. Malfoy was standing outside the door and flashed us a particularly nasty sneer as we approached. "You know, that really doesn't make your face look attractive at all," I informed him helpfully. "Perhaps a nice smile?"

His sneer deepened so that it was starting to resemble a grimace. "I've already got to endure this bloody detention in your presence. So don't even try to talk to me, mudblood," he spat.

I felt the anger coming off Harry in waves. I quickly grabbed his hand to prevent him from opening his mouth and getting into even more trouble. Malfoy's eyes flickered down to our joined hands before they returned to my face, an evil smirk on his face. "Isn't this nice," he crooned. "The mudblood and the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die. What a perfect couple."

I turned bright red, and noticed Harry doing the same out of the corner of my eye. I quickly dropped his hand and strode forward until I was inches away from the pale Slytherin. I felt dangerously angry, and it was wise of Malfoy to step back slightly.

"You'd better watch what you say," I snarled, leaning even closer so as to look more threatening, which was hard to do when you were as short as I was.

"Or what?" Malfoy asked, still smirking infuriatingly.

I smiled suddenly. Malfoy looked puzzled at this. My smile became a smirk to rival his when I said, "Or I'm gonna pull a Hermione."

SMACK!

I felt a satisfying crunch as my fist connected with his nose. He staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose while somehow simultaneously shooting me a death glare.

I beamed at him, hearing Harry's loud laughter behind me. "Next time you'll be a bit nicer, yeah?" I asked sweetly.

Malfoy opened his mouth but promptly closed it again with a wince. "Why do I always get hit by mudbloods," he moaned just as Flitwick came outside.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

oOoOoOoOo

"_Another_ detention?" Hermione squealed the next morning at breakfast.

I winced at her loudness. Noticing people around us shooting me curious looks, I rolled my eyes. "Haven't you idiots got anything better to gossip about?" They turned around and I snickered.

Hermione grinned suddenly. "You really said, 'I'm gonna pull a Hermione'?" At my nod, she laughed.

"It was brilliant!" Harry chipped in from across the table. Neville, who was sitting next to him, seemed awestruck. "I can't believe you _and _Hermione hit Malfoy! Especially Hermione, who's usually such a goody all the time."

Hermione seemed affronted. "And what is wrong with that?" she challenged.

Neville immediately looked wary. "Er, nothing…"

The bell rang then before Hermione could retort. I groaned. "All right, to Potions we go," I said, standing.

On the way out, I realized I'd forgotten my bag. Another groan. "I'll meet you three in the dungeons," I said to my friends before doubling back to the Gryffindor table.

Who should I run into but Ronald Weasley. As we both collapsed to the ground, me clutching my head and him his chest, I realized who it was and glared at him. "Oi, watch where you're going," I snapped at him.

To my immense shock, instead of barking right back at me, he looked sheepish. "Sorry."

I frowned but got up. He stood too and hurried to catch up with me as I picked up my bag and headed for the doors. When he fell into step with me, I turned to him. "Okay, what the hell."

He frowned this time. "What?"

"You've been treating me and Harry like we've suddenly sprouted blond hair and grey eyes ever since Harry's name was pulled out of the goblet. I know you think he put his name in, but _I_ didn't do shit. So you're being very unfair to me. And now, you're walking beside me like nothing ever happened. So, what the hell."

Ron rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish again. "Look, I'm sorry I've been rude towards you. It's just I know you like Harry and all and so you're obviously on his side—"

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously, stopping him with my arm. "_That's_ why you've been treating me like a blast-ended skrewt? Because Harry's my _friend_?" I conveniently ignored the me-liking-him part.

"Er… Yeah…"

"Blimey, Ron!" I said loudly. "You're the biggest baby I've ever met! Also, Hermione's his friend too and you talk to her!"

He gave me a look that strongly suggested that I was an idiot. "I think you know why."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you love the bird, but really? I didn't deserve that."

He sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm still mad at Harry, but I'm not mad at you."

I was about to protest against him being angry with Harry, but seeing that I wouldn't win, I sighed and grabbed his arm, dragging him to our class.

When we reached the door, I stopped him again. "So, we're cool now?"

He smiled at me. "Yeah. We're cool."

I smiled back and the both of us walked into class, still smiling.

"That'll be fifteen points from Gryffindor for tardiness, Domecq," Snape informed me in a cold voice. "Fifteen points for your lateness as well, Weasley."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at me as I sat next to Harry, but I just smile and shrugged at her. One glance over at Harry's face, though, showed him looking betrayed. I frowned at this and was about to ask him what was wrong when he abruptly stood and walked over to sit next to Neville as Snape's back was turned. My jaw dropped and I gaped at Hermione, hoping she could give me an answer. She responded by flicking her eyes over at Ron, who was frowning at me as if asking what's wrong. I groaned and hit my head on my desk as I realized.

So, Harry thought I'd gone over to Ron's side?

Brilliant.

"Five points from Gryffindor for unnecessary noises, Domecq."

Even more brilliant.

* * *

**All right, so how was that? Bit shorter than usual, but I couldn't help it.  
**

**Review please! Reviews make my day full of unicorns and chocolate cake.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: *sheepishly* Hi guys.  
**

**I realize it's been-how long now? One month? Two?-and I really don't have an excuse for delaying so long, other than the fact that I've recently started my sophomore year and it's DRIVING ME FREAKING INSANE.  
**

**This is also a really short chapter. I'M SAWWY. D':  
**

**I hope you enjoy it anyway. Read on, bros.  
**

* * *

"'Mione, it's the day before the first challenge and he _still_ won't talk to me!"

I was sitting on my bed, my knees drawn to my chest and my arms wrapped around them. After seeing me apparently being friendly with Ron, Harry had gone on full-out avoid mode. He'd dodge me in the common room and run up to his dorm whenever he'd see me coming, and he'd taken to sitting with Neville in class. Whenever I tried to corner him, he'd turn tail and run.

Hermione sighed sympathetically. She was sitting on her own bed, cross-legged, with a huge book open on her lap. She'd abandoned reading it, however, to deal with my whining. "Aisy, I don't know what to tell you that I haven't already," she said plaintively.

I faked shock. "The great Hermione Granger doesn't know what to do? The world must have surely come to an end!" I couldn't put much effort in my teasing. I was feeling too depressed.

She rolled her eyes. "If you're just going to be rude—"

"'MIONEEEEE," I whined, tilting over so that I landed on my side. "Help me!"

"I told you, you have to find some way to get through to him without actually confronting him."

I groaned and covered my face with my palm. "But how am I supposed to do that?"

She bit her lip thoughtfully. "Maybe you could get Neville to talk to him?"

I shot up. "That's brilliant!" I cried, pouncing on my best female friend and hugging her neck. "Thank you so much, you genius girl, you!" I leaped up and darted out the dormitory door, flying down the stairs and running smack into somebody.

"Ow!" we both yelled, falling to the floor. My head pounded angrily. I covered my face with my hands, trying to block out the light coming from the common room. I angrily wondered who the idiot was who ran into me, not once considering that the collision was equally my fault.

As I opened my eyes to see who the offender was, I gasped quietly, my heart beginning to pound.

It was none other than Harry Potter.

His glasses were hanging off his face by his left ear, obviously broken in the middle. I made a mental note to apologize for that later. He had a big red mark on his forehead, right next to his famous scar. He didn't seem to have noticed me yet, for he was cradling his forehead in his hands. When he finally uncovered his face and saw me, however, slight panic flitted across his face and he shot to his feet.

"Oh no you don't," I exclaimed, leaping to my feet and snagging his arm in a fierce grip. "We are talking right now!"

"Aisy, let go!" he ordered gruffly, speaking to me for the first time in a long while.

I set my jaw stubbornly. "No."

He studied me warily for a moment before sighing heavily. "Fine, let's talk."

I grinned triumphantly and dragged him over to our sofa. When we both sat, me expectantly and him uncomfortably, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well?"

"You're a git," I said without preamble. His eyes widened slightly, but other than that he gave no other reaction other than to nod as if to say, "Go on."

I yanked his glasses off his ear and repaired them with my wand, then handed them back to him. He mumbled a thank you and adjusted them on his nose before facing me expectantly once more.

"I don't know why you're so cross with me," I said. "I think I deserve an explanation, at least, seeing as how we _used_ to be best mates."

Harry flinched slightly at the word _used_. Then he looked at the fireplace. He seemed to be debating over what he was going to say. Finally he blurted, "You betrayed me."

I sputtered. "_Betrayed_ you? What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

He continued staring at the dancing flames. "I expect you had fun with Ronnie, yeah? Laughing about that idiot Harry who snuck his name into the Goblet of Fire, right under Dumbledore's nose. Probably also laughing about how I'm going to get barbecued tomorrow—"

I wanted to interrupt him so many times during his angry little rant, but I'd decided to let him finish. At that last part, however, I needed to stop him. "Barbecued? What do you mean barbecued?"

He rolled his eyes, finally looking at me. "Don't play stupid. Hermione told you I was fighting a dragon."

I felt my eyes widen dramatically and my heart skip an entire beat. "D-Dragon?"

He frowned. "Didn't you already know?"

"No, of course I didn't! How could I? Hermione didn't tell me anything!"

"Well, I really thought she would have," he said. "Anyway, you and Ron still probably had plenty of other things to mock me about."

I'd had enough. I firmly grabbed his face in both my hands and stared into his eyes determinedly. "Harry James Potter," I began, "I am absolutely astonished to believe that you'd think I could ever go behind your back like that. You are and always have been my best friend in the entire world, and it'll take a lot more than someone sneaking your name into the Goblet to change that. Wait, scratch that, _nothing_ could change how I feel about you. I am _not _joining 'Ron's side,' or whatever you immature prats are calling it. Seriously, this is not a war, it's a lovers' quarrel. You're being ridiculous, both of you."

I let go of his face at this point, which had softened considerably, but I wasn't done. "Honestly, betraying you? What an absurd idea. Do you honestly think that just because I'm friends with you, I have to hate Ron now because he's being a stupid git? If that is what you expected, I'm sorry to say that that's not what's going to happen. I love Ron to death; he's like my absurdly tall, ginger brother. I'm not saying I'm on 'his side,' or that I approve of the way he's treating you, because I'm not, and I don't. But I am saying that I won't start hating him just because you both refuse to cooperate at the moment. You need to understand that."

He watched me for a long moment. I subconsciously held my breath, apparently waiting for his verdict. When he nodded slightly and gave me a small smile, I squealed and squeezed his neck, thrilled beyond words that my best friend was back.

When I pulled away, I fixed him with a very concerned stare. "What are you going to do about the dragon tomorrow?"

He paled slightly, obviously having been worried about that very same problem. "Well, Hermione's been teaching me the Accio charm. The plan is that I summon my broom and… well… fly around."

I gaped. "Fly around? Honestly? Is that all you've got?"

"Better than being burned alive," he retorted.

"True," I conceded.

We sat in silence for a while, him watching the fire again while I discretely watched him. He looked… tired. His charcoal-colored hair was even more messy than usual, and he had bags under his eyes. He was too young for this. Fourteen is not a proper age to be fighting a damned dragon. I leaned over suddenly and hugged him, burying my face in his chest. He smelled like trees. He started a bit when I hugged him, but draped his arms around me anyway.

"What are we gonna do, Aisy?"

"I don't know. But I'm here with you through it all."

* * *

**D'awwwww. Sweeeeet.**

**I SWEAR I won't take so long next time. I'll get the next chapter up in a few days. Witch's honor.  
**

**Love and Hippogriffs,  
**

**Rachel c;  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Oh my GOD I am SO SORRY LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW SORRY I AM**

**I gave witch's honor and everything, shit I am sorry.**

**I really really hope I can get back around to writing this. I swear to every deity in creation that I will get back on this.**

**I do realize it's been six months. Shame on me.**

**Bless your souls. Bless you. I love you all and can't thank you enough for sticking with me.**

**Read on, you beautiful people.**

* * *

We stood in the Champions' tent, Harry and I. The event was about to start, and I wasn't scared.

That makes me sound pretty heartless, but the truth was I had complete and utter faith in Harry. He'd been practicing and preparing with 'Mione and I every day, and he'd mastered spells that before he'd never been able to do.

All right, maybe the "not scared" part was a lie. Secretly, buried underneath all my confidence and pride, I was terrified. Just the thought of something going wrong… of anything happening to Harry…

I gulped back the lump rising in my throat. Harry obviously noticed my expression. He pulled me to him in a gentle and brief hug, which made my heart completely melt into a warm puddle of goo. Pulling away, he said, "Aisy, relax. I've got this." I watched as he made a valiant effort to hide the fear in his own eyes.

"Don't do that," I snapped. "Don't act like nothing could go wrong. Because if you act like you're invincible but then something happens and… and you d-… d-…"

"Stop," he said quietly. "It's fine. You know I can do this."

I let out a shaky breath and gave him an equally shaky smile. This was when Mr. Crouch, the man himself, waltzed in with a moving bag in his hands. "Champions, gather round," he said in his sharp voice, which automatically made me scowl. Harry sighed and faced me one last time.

I bit my lip. "Good luck," I cried, launching myself into his arms. He hugged me tightly for a few seconds. Then I pulled away and did something…

I don't know what I was thinking, I don't know what was going through my head. One moment I was squeezing his neck, the next my mouth was on his almost feverishly.

Oh god, this was brilliant, this was wonderful, this was absolutely _amazing_, this was Harry…

WAIT.

THIS WAS HARRY.

"Oh!" I yelped, pulling back, feeling my face turn red as a tomato. My ears felt like they were burning off of my head. Harry's entire face was comically shocked—his mouth was slightly hanging open, his lips swollen, and his eyes were incredibly wide. He too was turning a red hue.

WHAT HAVE I DONE.

Without another word I turned and bolted out of the tent. WHAT.

WHAT.

WHAT.

I'd kissed Harry, I'd kissed Harry, oh my god I'd kissed _Harry_. And I'd loved every second of it, but still.

I took my seat beside 'Mione. Ron was on my left, scowling. I would have slapped him if I hadn't seen the paleness marring his complexion. It warmed my heart to know that he was worried for his… no longer ex friend.

Hermione was too freaked out to notice my radiant blush. She was about chewing her lip off. I reached up and touched my own swollen lips with one finger, remembering how Harry's lips had felt on them. If possible, I blushed even harder.

Hermione grabbed my hand from my mouth suddenly, her eyes wide and frightened. "He's not prepared!" she wailed as the announcer yelled Cedric Diggory's name.

"He's perfectly prepared, 'Mione, and you know it," I said sharply, nerves finally taking over. She shut her mouth at my tone and faced the contest, still trembling. Ron was growing even paler.

A huge, magnificent dragon was towering over the Hufflepuff. No forearms, but hind legs powerful enough to kick in the castle if the beast wanted to. Its scales shimmered a deep blackish blue. The Swedish short snout flapped its wings furiously, letting out a blood-curdling roar. I shuddered, both in awe and apprehension, as I watched Diggory take on this ferocious, awe-inspiring creature., ending up burnt but victorious. Poor Labrador though…

Next was Fleur. Her flowing blond hair was tied into a tight bun to prevent it from being burned off. She was facing an equally beautiful creature, the Welsh Green. Absolutely lovely scales, the color of emerald. Its long snout was filled with rows and rows of sharp, long, vicious teeth. The Green snarled menacingly at Fleur, who attempted some kind of trance. Obviously this didn't work, for her robes were set alight. I heard Ron's sharp intake of breath and rolled my eyes. "Your princess is fine," I hissed at him. He sneered at me in response, though the effect was nulled by the fright on his face.

Krum next. This time it was 'Mione who gasped softly. I shot her a look but dared not question her sudden intense interest in the Bulgarian. Said Bulgarian was facing the beautiful Chinese Fireball, a long, scarlet-colored beast. It curled up protectively around the nest, spitting fire.

By this time I'd begun to fade into myself. I couldn't pay attention to anything at all, for I was much too frightened for Harry. He was next. He. Was. Next.

Somewhere deep inside me, I thanked the gods that I'd kissed him while he was in one piece.

WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HAD THAT THOUGHT COME FROM?

No no no, I had to have faith. I did have faith.

Harry walked out of the tent. He called for his broom.

The Hungarian Horntail roared at his frighteningly tiny in comparison frame.

And I blacked out.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Aisy! Aisy, he's done it! He's got the egg!" I woke, in my seat still, to a roaring crowd and a near-sobbing Hermione. "Look at him, Aisy, look at the egg! He's okay!"

Hardly daring to believe her, I quickly got to my feet and anxiously searched the sky for Harry. He caught my eye immediately, managing to look solemn and relieved at the same time. I held his gaze for a moment, blushing madly, before I noticed the wound on his shoulder. Oh, poor Harry.

"Come on then," Hermione said happily, "let's go congratulate our champion."

When we got down to the pitch, McGonagall informed us that Harry was in the tent with Pomfrey. The two of us rushed inside.

As I ran through the opening and saw those perfect green eyes, I felt light as a feather. My heart was soaring, my cheeks warm, and I couldn't remember being this happy in quite a while.

He was okay. My Harry was okay. He'd made it through the first task of the tournament with barely a scrape.

I knew then that that bloke was nearly unstoppable.

Madam Pomfrey left to take care of Diggory, giving the three of us room to crowd around Harry.

Hermione jumped up and down, her frizzy hair bouncing as she chattered excitedly to Harry. "I'm so _proud _of you, Harry, I'm so _relieved_! I was so worried, you see, even though we'd trained so rigorously, I just knew _something _would go wrong—but it didn't! You were brilliant, and I'm _so_ happy you're alive and well! Well, aside from this scratch on your shoulder, but it's really just—"

"'Mione, give the bloke some breathing room," Ron spoke up. Harry visibly hardened at his presence. Not to be deterred, Ron turned to him and said, "Harry, whoever put your name in that goblet—I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

"Caught on, have you? Took you long enough," Harry responded icily.

Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. I remained behind Ron, not willing to intervene. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. I knew he was about to apologize, and finally.

"It's okay," Harry said, taking us all by surprise. "Forget it."

"No," Ron insisted, "I shouldn't've—"

"Forget it," Harry said with a very final tone. He and Ron grinned warmly at each other before starting as Hermione burst into tears. She wailed, "You both are so _stupid_!" and hugged both of their necks before running away sobbing. They both looked after her, bewildered.

Ron shrugged. "S'pose I'd better hunt her down and go with you to get your scores." He left rapidly, leaving Harry and me alone.

It was a long, slightly awkward moment as the both of us stared at each other. My face felt hot, and his was a bit red as well. Within seconds, however, I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I saw his slight smile form. "You lucky arse," I laughed before I flew into his arms. I didn't think about the kiss. I just held him as he held me in return, so happy to be in his warm embrace. Turning my head so that my face was in the crook of his neck, I murmured, "I'm so glad you're okay."

His nose was in my hair. "I'm glad that you're glad."

"I'm glad that you're glad that I'm glad."

We were both snickering quietly. "I'm glad that you're glad that I'm glad that you're glad."

"We should stop."

"Yeah."

Moments passed with us just standing there, holding each other. Occasionally McGonagall or Ron or someone would walk in, but then immediately leave.

At last we pulled away and smiled at each other. Then I remembered the kiss, becoming sheepish. I felt this urge to explain it to him. To explain that it was all a mistake.

After all, he couldn't possibly feel the way I felt.

"Harry, about that kiss…"

He grinned. "Yeah?"

"Sorry about that. It was just a… spur of the moment thing, you know? Like… I got caught up in the excitement. That's all it was."

As I'd talked, his face had dropped more and more. Now it was positively stony. "Right. Let's go get my scores, then." He marched out of the tent, leaving a baffled me in his wake.

What had I done now?

* * *

**After a six month wait, I give you THAT ending. I suck. I am so sorry.**

**I will start on the next chapter immediately, I promise. I love you all.**

**Love and Hippogriffs,**

**Rachel c;**


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